Versova Beach (File Photo)

MUMBAI: In a unique order, the Bombay high court bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre directed a public interest litigant (PIL) who claimed to be a “social activist’’ to establish his bona fides by doing some “real social work” by helping United Nations Earth Champion Afroz Shah for a week.

Shah’s work on launching Versova beach cleanup four years ago has been described by the UN environment as the world’s largest and most inspirational fight against plastic pollution and marine litter.

Rakesh Chavan, a Mumbai resident from Khar, west, filed a PIL in 2017 claiming there was a lake in Goregaon, east which was removed by a company called Nesco.

Company counsel Prasad Dhakephalkar, when asked by the HC who the petitioner was, said, he was a “busybody” who filed petitions the moment new construction started coming up. In the petition, Chavan claimed to be a “social activist to bring social upliftment of society.”

The CJ said, if he calls himself a social activist, he must do some social work to show his bona fides.

The bench first suggested that Chavan do some work with the police but Dhakephalkar who appeared with counsel Abhinav Chandrachud for Nesco said it might be better to send him to work with Shah, who they said is also a lawyer who was doing good work for the environment with cleaning beaches in the city.

The HC bench said, “You want to work for the betterment of society, then do some real social work now... Do any work that Afroz Shah assigns you for a week."

He could work with Shah and his team of volunteers at the city’s beaches in Versova, Dana Pani or Mithi river rejuvenation for marine litter cleanup or to reduce the plastic pollution through circular economy projects.

This order made it the third such where Shah's work has attracted judicial notice and litigants sent to him for social service. Earlier in criminal quashing cases, the accused was ordered by the HC to work with Shah as a condition to quash.

The PIL also said Chavan was working hard to secure social welfare of people and thereby organizing various events, condolence meetings and other social functions.

When the matter reached for a hearing on Tuesday, Chavan sought time to file an additional document about the company. The bench declined and asked what the matter was about. The CJ said he could not make out nothing about petition after hearing his lawyer for a while and asked Dhakephalkar to explain.

Dhakephalkar said the PIL claimed there was earlier a lake and a well which Nesco has filled and where it is now constructing a building.

Dhakephalkar added, “There was no lake, he said, adding that the old hall building was demolished and the reconstruction was on with new building nearing completion when the PIL was filed.”

Nesco was earlier known as New Standard Engineering Co Ltd and incorporated in 1939. It got its present name in 2001. In 1959-60 Maharashtra government acquired land for Nesco company.

The HC directed the state to make sure Chavan reports to Shah next Monday and does whatever work he is assigned for seven days. The bench said it would then consider his PIL which has made as parties, the state revenue department, urban development department, a Borivali tehsildar, the department of land records, police commissioner, civic administration and Nesco through its directors.

He could work with Shah and his team of volunteers at the city’s beaches in Versova, Dana Pani or Mithi river rejuvenation for marine litter cleanup or to reduce plastic pollution through circular economy projects.