The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed social activist Santosh Daundkar to present substantial evidence supporting his allegations against actor Shah Rukh Khan or the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) regarding the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the renovation of King Khan’s residence, Mannat.
According to Bar and Bench, Daundkar has been granted a four-week period to submit the required evidence, failing which his appeal challenging the CRZ clearance will be dismissed. This directive was issued by the Western Zone Bench of the NGT.
“If any violation of the above procedure has been committed by the Project Proponent or the MCZMA, the same may be submitted by the appellant specifically along with the evidence in support of that, within four weeks, failing which we would be left with no option but to dismiss the present appeal for non-compliance with the order of this Tribunal, at the stage of admission itself,” stated a bench comprising Judicial Member Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Vijay Kulkarni.
The social activist had filed an appeal raising objections to the CRZ clearance granted for Shah Rukh’s proposal to add two additional floors to his existing six-storey mansion. He alleged that this clearance was unlawful, as it was granted despite previous violations of CRZ norms.
Among his claims, Daundkar argued that Khan had demolished two heritage structures without obtaining the necessary environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), which he asserted was mandatory under CRZ regulations.
Additionally, he pointed out that the land in question was originally designated for an art gallery in the statutory Development Plan, but this reservation was removed without obtaining the mandatory approval from the MCZMA.
Another key issue highlighted in the appeal is that the Jawan actor allegedly constructed a ground-plus-six-storey structure without securing the required permissions from the MCZMA. Furthermore, Daundkar expressed concerns over the construction of a deep basement, claiming that it extended approximately six metres below ground level and involved the unauthorised extraction of minor minerals and groundwater.
The activist also accused Khan of misrepresentation, alleging that the actor initially constructed 12 one-bedroom-hall-kitchen (1BHK) flats for mass housing, which were later combined to create a luxury single-family home. He contended that this move contravened the provisions of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976.
In its observations, the Tribunal noted that the alleged infractions raised by Daundkar dated back to the period between 2000 and 2006, whereas the CRZ clearance in question was issued in January 2025. The order further mentioned that the approval appeared to align with the provisions outlined in the CRZ Notification of 2019.
The Tribunal has now instructed Daundkar to submit concrete evidence to substantiate his claims within the given timeframe. The next hearing is scheduled for April 23.
