3 weeks ago
Bombay HC Allows Repairs To 129-Year-Old Jimmy Boy Building
In Mumbai, there is a very famous and very old restaurant called Jimmy Boy.
It is inside a building that is 129 years old.
The city government said the building was unsafe and wanted to tear it down.
The people who live and work in the building did not want that.
So a smart university called IIT Bombay sent experts to check the whole building very carefully.
The experts said the building did not have to be torn down at all.
It just needed to be fixed and made stronger.
A judge agreed, so the city cannot tear the building down now.
Everyone must move out while the repairs happen, but when the fixing is finished, people can safely live and eat there again.
The Bombay High Court quashed the BMC's demolition notice for the 129-year-old Vikas Premises Co-operative Society building in Fort, Mumbai, which houses the iconic Jimmy Boy Parsi restaurant.
The court relied on a fresh IIT Bombay structural audit that classified portions of the building as C-2A and C-2B, with no portion categorised C-1 or recommended for demolition.
The building was initially classified C-1 (dangerous) after a visual inspection by Mahimtura Consultants, while later tests by the society's engineer and Mahimtura classified it as C-2A, a category where repairs can be undertaken.
The BMC opposed repairs, arguing that the 129-year-old structure's life would only be extended by about 15 years and that piecemeal repairs could pose a risk to life and property.
The court directed the BMC to expeditiously grant all necessary permissions for repairs but barred occupancy until the repairs and structural strengthening are completed.
- Who
- A Bombay High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, the Vikas Premises Co-operative Society, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and IIT Bombay experts.
- What
- The court quashed the BMC's demolition notice for the 129-year-old building housing the Jimmy Boy restaurant and permitted repairs and structural strengthening based on an IIT Bombay audit.
- Where
- Fort, Mumbai, India.
- When
- The order was passed on August 6, recalling and modifying the earlier July 2, 2025 order; the quashed BMC notice was dated June 21, 2025.
- Why
- Because the IIT Bombay audit found no portion of the building required demolition, and the court held that repairing or redeveloping is a decision for the society and its members.
Repair and Retrofit
Demolition and Redevelopment
Future of the 129-year-old structure
Repair and Retrofit
The IIT Bombay audit found no portion of the building categorised as C-1 or recommended for demolition, so repairs and structural strengthening are the safe, viable option.
Demolition and Redevelopment
The 129-year-old building's repairs would only extend its life by about 15 years, redevelopment should be considered instead, and piecemeal repairs could pose a risk to life and property.
Structural certification
Repair and Retrofit
Chemical and non-destructive tests by the society's engineer and by Mahimtura Consultants classified the building as C-2A, a category where repairs can be undertaken.
Demolition and Redevelopment
The earlier visual inspection by Mahimtura Consultants had placed the building in the dangerous C-1 category, and the IIT report did not certify the entire building as structurally stable.
Key facts
- Building
- Vikas Premises Co-operative Society building, Fort, Mumbai
- Age
- 129 years
- Famous tenant
- Jimmy Boy Parsi restaurant
- Court bench
- Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad
- IIT Bombay audit
- Portions classified C-2A and C-2B; no C-1 classification or demolition recommendation
- BMC notice
- June 21, 2025 - vacate and demolish (quashed)
- Earlier court order
- July 2, 2025 (recalled and modified)
- Occupancy during work
- Prohibited until repairs and structural strengthening are completed
Quotes
Acting Chief Justice R.V. Ghuge
Judge of the Bombay High Court
“"The court directed the occupants to vacate the building at the earliest before the repair work begins."”
freepressjournal.in
“"Whether to repair or redevelop is for the society and its members."”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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