Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's lawyer on Wednesday alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which demolished part of her Bandra bungalow earlier in the day, was lying about illegal construction there.

Amid a raging row over Ranaut's remarks about Mumbai police, the Shiv Sena-controlled BMC on Wednesday started demolishing "illegal alterations" at her Bandra bungalow. However, the Bombay High Court later stayed the demolition process and sought to know how the civic body entered the property when the owner was not present.

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Talking to reporters outside the actor's office after the stay order, her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui said, "The BMC is lying. It's lying on record (about illegal construction at the bungalow). They said they have given stop-work notice. But such notice is given when the construction process is underway."

"There is no construction going on at the place. It was over about one-and-a-half years ago," he added.

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Siddiqui said that even as the BMC officials were told that they have moved the Bombay High Court against the demolition, the civic authorities did not stop the process.

"They rejected our reply at 10.19 am. Immediately, we moved the court (HC) and served the copies (of the plea) to BMC office as well the official present on the spot," the lawyer said.

"I also told them that the matter is in the court. Despite that they didn't stop the demolition. The work stopped only after the HC gave a stay on it," he added.

Ranaut's recent remark comparing Mumbai to Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has drawn the ire of the ruling Shiv Sena, which also controls the BMC.

The 33-year-old actor has alleged that the Maharashtra government is targeting her because of her fight with the Shiv Sena.

The BMC on Tuesday pasted a stop-work notice at the actor's bungalow. The civic body said that during regular inspection it found several illegal constructions and modifications, which it claimed were carried out without necessary approvals from it.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)