India, Aug. 29 -- The City Civil Court in Mumbai struck down the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) order declaring the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) an "unauthorised occupant" of its own building, Grahak Bhavan, observing that the action appeared to be driven more by the interests of a private developer than by public purpose.

The court held that the nonprofit organisation's lease on the 5,000-square-foot plot at the JVPD Scheme in Vile Parle (West), where Grahak Bhavan stands, had been validly renewed till December 31, 2030. It rejected the civic body's contention that the lease had lapsed in 1996, pointing to documentary evidence, including a 2004 letter from the municipal commissioner and a resolution from the BMC's Improveme...