DAE employees again move Bombay High Court to get Mehrangir declared national monument

Department of Atomic Energy employees have yet again approached the Bombay High Court in their quest to get 'Mehrangir', nuclear scientist Dr Homi Bhabha's bungalow at Malabar Hill in South Mumbai, declared a national monument. The DAE employees have requested that court should direct the Union government to expeditiously take a decision to this effect.

Ram Dhuri, president of National Forum for Aided Institutions Employees (Department of Atomic Energy), in his petition, has also sought direction to the purchasers of the sprawling bungalow not to carry out demolition or repair work pending the Union government's decision.

The petition claims that in September 2014, the High Court had, while hearing another petition on the same issue, directed the petitioners to approach the Union government.

"The Union government has till date not taken any decision. The purchasers of the bungalow had in September 2014 assured the court that they do not propose to demolish the building nor do they propose to make any changes in the bungalow for a period of six months, by when the Union government can take a decision," the petition states.

It adds that in March this year, the Maharashtra government wrote a letter to the Union government, requesting it to take appropriate steps to declare the iconic bungalow a national monument.

Senior counsel Rajiv Chavan, appearing for the petitioner, mentioned the matter before a division bench headed by Justice VM Kanade and Justice BP Colabawala, which has kept the matter for hearing on Tuesday.

Recently, the Charity Commissioner allowed the National Centre for Performing Arts, to whom the property was bequeathed, to go ahead with the sale of the bungalow. The sprawling bungalow was recently auctioned for Rs372 crore by the NCPA.