Ajay Devgn's Juhu bungalow gets BMC stop-work notice over planned salon and spa

Ajay Devgn's bungalow in Mumbai's Juhu area is now at the centre of a civic row. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has served a stop-work notice over work tied to a planned salon and spa on the premises. The action came from the civic body's K-West ward after a complaint from the Kapol Co-operative Housing Society, where the property sits.

The 7,802 sq ft house stands at Plot S-10, N S Road No. 11, in the JVPD Scheme, and it is reportedly linked to Kajol as well. Local corporator Sudha Singh said the Building and Factory Department of the K-West ward is handling the case. According to her, the department found that no permission for commercial use had been shown. The BMC asked the owners for the papers and issued the notice when the approvals were not produced.

The Devgn family has asked for four weeks to reply. The actor's camp, however, rejects the idea that approvals are missing. A source from the camp said, "The requisite permissions and approvals from the concerned authorities in relation to the proposed use of the premises have been duly obtained."

The society's objection is reportedly not about the bungalow being leased out. Its worry is a commercial business running inside a residential pocket. Residents have raised concerns about more visitors, parking pressure, security and noise, all on narrow internal roads.

Reports say Florian Hurel Salons Pvt Ltd has taken the bungalow on a five-year leave-and-licence agreement dated August 10. The rent reportedly starts at Rs 16 lakh a month in the first year and rises every year after that. The society is also said to have questioned whether a salon and spa can run there without the needed civic and statutory clearances.

For now, the dispute comes down to paperwork. The outcome is likely to depend on the documents the owners submit and on whether the BMC accepts that the approvals cover a salon and spa at the property.