Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday sought a reply from the Brihanmumbai Municiapal Corporation (BMC) to a petition filed by the Mumbai Football Association (MFA) that has challenged a move to turn Mumbai’s key football venue at Bandra into a convention complex.At a hearing before Acting Chief Justice RV Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, the association, represented by senior counsel Zal Andhyarujina with advocate Pradeep Mane, among others, contended that the plans afoot were detrimental to the future of already diminishing open spaces, which need to be saved. Andhyarujina said May 2026 recommendation by the civic improvements Committee to convert the Neville D’Souza Football Ground at Bandra Reclamation into an exhibition or convention centre was ex-facie “arbitrary, illegal’’.The petition said it “threatens one of the city’s key football venues”. The association challenged a Nov 3, 2025 letter of Mhada, the improvements committee’s plans to alter the land’s designation under Mumbai’s Revised Development Plan (DP) 2034.The BMC counsel, Sheetal Metakari, said an affidavit would be filed by Aug 20 and orally submitted that the process would not be completed by the next date and the HC placed the matter in the ‘urgent admissions’ category, on Aug 24.By the next date, Mhada too is at liberty to file its affidavit in reply, said the HC.
