A Division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice F.M.Reis and Justice Nutan Sardessai has dismissed Goa State BJP Vice-President Anil Hoble’s second petition challenging the order of the National Green Tribunal directing the demolition of his illegal structures along the Ribandar- Panaji causeway and payment of twenty lakhs as fine.
With the High Court dismissing the petition the decks have now cleared for the Tiswadi Deputy Collector to demolish the illegal structures and recover the fine of Rs twenty lakhs from Anil Hoble. Anil Hoble represented by Senior Advocate Subodh Kantak submitted before the High Court that his Bar & Restaurant was legal and existed since 1960 but the petition was strongly opposed while pointing out to the Court that Anil Hoble had been misleading the Courts and other authorities with fabricated documents. It was pointed out to the Court that the government authorities were shielding Anil Hoble as he is the Vice-President of the ruling party. Earlier this month on June 8th a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Mumbai comprising of Justice A.V.Mohta and Justice A.S.Gadkari dismissed the petition filed by Anil Hoble challenging the NGT order after it was pointed out to the Bombay High Court at Mumbai that Anil Hoble had fraudulently obtained a stay order from the High Court in Mumbai despite the Bombay High Court at Goa having dismissed his earlier petition. The NGT while ordering the demolition of the illegal structures had held that Anil Hoble violated various provisions of the environmental law and also directed him to pay a fine of 20 lakhs for destroying mangroves and doing illegal land filling in violation of environment laws. Last year Anil Hoble had filed a petition before the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking a stay of the NGT order which was dismissed after it was vehemently opposed as not maintainable and misconceived. The Court’s attention was drawn that that under Section 22 of the NGT Act an appeal against an order of the NGT would only lie before the Supreme Court and not the High Court. It was then argued on behalf of Anil Hoble that he was poor and could not afford to move the Supreme Court. However while disputing that Anil Hoble was poor, submitted to the High Court were the registration details of a Black Mercedes Benz GA-O7-K-0055 owned by Anil Hoble. Anil Hoble misused his political power with impunity in usurping community land by filling the fields and destroying mangroves around the Ribandar – Merces area. The NGT in its order accused Anil Hoble of doing land filling after cutting mangroves and filling salt pans in violation of CRZ regulations while also misleading the authorities. Anil Hoble later also filed two petitions before the Supreme Court which also came to be dismissed as withdrawn after which he filed the review petition before the NGT claiming that his Bar & Restaurant existed since 1960 which was also dismissed. Hoble’s River Lounge Bar & Restaurant was inaugurated on 1st April 2014 by then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar despite the structures housing the Bar & Restaurant being illegal. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com
