Overview

• A bench led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep V Marne directed Panvel Municipal Corporation to remove all encroachments within 90 days.
• The order mandates cleaning and restoration of the holy Israel lake used for ritual cleansing before Jewish burials.
• PMC’s ward officer must conduct hearings for any individuals or parties occupying the cemetery land before initiating removal actions.
• The Jewish Heritage Trust alleged that construction firms erected unauthorized hutments and hoardings, desecrated graves and discharged drainage waste into the lake.
• The court emphasized PMC’s statutory duty under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act to eliminate encroachments and maintain water bodies.