Law helps only the diligent, HC tells actor Sonu Sood

Dismisses plea to quash demolition notice

Observing that law helps only those who are diligent, the Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed the petitions filed by Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, seeking to quash the demolition notice issued by the BMC over the alleged illegal construction carried out by him at his residential building in suburban Juhu. The BMC has accused the actor of converting his six storey residential building into a commercial hotel.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan even refused to stay his judgment for 10 weeks, as urged by Sonu's counsel Amogh Singh. While refusing to stay his judgment pronounced on Thursday, Justice Chavan said, "The ball is now in the office of the BMC. You (Sonu) can approach the civic authorities."

"And you must know that you are too late (in approaching the HC) since you had ample time and opportunity. Law helps only those who are diligent," Justice Chavan observed.

A detailed copy of the judgment is yet to be made available. The Bench was seized with a plea filed by Sonu challenging the demolition notice issued by the civic body in October last year.

During the arguments, Sonu through his counsel Singh had told the court that the BMC's notice was as 'vague' as possible as it didn't specify as to what exactly was illegally constructed or altered in contravention of the sanctioned plan.