Similar action was taken at Hotels Varsha, Tourist, Prems and Kamlesh. The squad demolished more than 9,000 sq ft of unauthorised structures during the day.

The civic authorities had sent a notice to the owners of Hotel Kapila under Section 260 (1) of the Bombay Province Municipal Corporation Act (BPMC) on June 29, 1996, after it noticed that a portion of the hotel was being used for commercial purposes, violating the Development Control rules. The corporation had asked the owners to submit the sanctioned plan.

The hotel owners, however, did not reply to the notice. The corporation then sent another notice under Section 260 (2) of the Act on August 21, 1996. The hoteliers then went to court and obtained a stay order against any action by the corporation. The stay order wasvacated in the last week of April, enabling the corporation to initiate action against the hotel.

Anti-encroachment squad chief Gautam Waghchoure told mediapersons that the hotel owner had built a mezzanine floor, admeasuring about 200 sq ft.

The staff also found that the basement, meant for parking vehicles, was being used for commercial purposes. The hotel owner was found to have constructed a 150 sq ft pantry, two store rooms and an office -- rented out to a multinational company -- in the basement. Waghchoure said the entire unauthorised portion of the hotel was demolished.

The official sources said two more cases concerning Hotel Kapila are in court. In both the cases, the court had stayed demolitions.

At Hotel Varsha, owned by Nandkishor Agarwal, the squad demolilshed rooms, admeasuring about 675 sq ft in the basement. Sources said the rooms were rented out. Another 160 sq ft structure on the terrace was pulled down.

At Hotel Tourist, the squad demolished about a 860 sq ft construction. Itsowner, Jagdish Agarwal, had constructed rooms, including a 160 sq ft kitchen shed, in the rear end of the building.

In addition, two cement structures, asmeasuring about 300 sq ft, and a 30 X 40 sq ft illegal shed on the terrace, were also demolished.

At Hotel Prems in Koregaon Park, owner Arun Sharma had constructed two 380 sq ft sheds in the rear end of the building, while at Hotel Kamlesh, the owner had closed the stilt parking by construcing walls.