India, Feb. 19 -- The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rebuked naval authorities for not taking timely action over the construction of a high-rise building near INS Shikra, the Navy's premier air station in south Mumbai, and asked them to be more alert.

A bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Abhay Mantri was hearing a petition filed by the Commanding Officer of INS Shikra against the construction of the building, which is proposed to be 23-storey high.

"Were you sleeping all this time," the court said, asking why the construction - which according to the Navy began in 2021 - was allowed in the first place.

On Monday, the court had temporarily halted the construction activity, citing urgent security concerns ahead of Prime Minister Narend...