District Collector issues notice to church in Fort, Mumbai over Government land dues

Government acts after complaint by Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad
Warning of legal action if the amount is not paid within 21 days

Mumbai – ‘The Church of Scotland Trust’ has been in unauthorised possession of Government land in the Fort area of Mumbai for as long as 33 years. In this case, the Mumbai City District Collector’s office has issued a final recovery notice to the trust.

A final recovery notice has been served on ‘The Church of Scotland Trust’ for ₹31,74,895 towards unauthorised use of 1,137.32 square metres of land bearing Survey No. 1405. The administration has warned that if the amount is not deposited into the Government account within 21 days, legal action will be initiated.

The Government land had been leased to the ‘Free Church of Scotland’ on 18 June 1894 for a period of 99 years. The lease expired on 13 June 1993. However, even after 33 years had elapsed since the expiry of the lease, the Government neither took possession of the land nor renewed the lease.

🚨 Action in Mumbai Land Case!

Following a complaint by Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, the Mumbai City Collector has issued a final recovery notice to the Church of Scotland Trust for occupying prime government land in Fort without authorisation for 33 years.

📌 The original tenant… pic.twitter.com/Uz4ZPiGKeJ

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) June 28, 2026

Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad’s legal battle

Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad took cognisance of this serious matter and submitted a written complaint to the Revenue Department. The original lessee organisation no longer exists, and the ‘Church of Saint Andrew and Saint Columba’ has been using this valuable land without any authorised legal transfer.

District Collector grants a 21-day deadline

Acting on the complaint, the Mumbai City District Collector’s office issued a fresh notice to the concerned trust on 23 June 2026. As per the order dated 3 January 2022, ₹31,74,895 was required to be deposited into the Government account for renewal of the lease. Through a letter dated 23 June, the Resident Deputy District Collector has now granted the concerned organisation a final period of 21 days.

If the outstanding amount is not deposited within the stipulated period through the G.R.A.S. system and the official challan is not submitted to the District Collector’s office, further stringent legal action will be taken in accordance with the rules. The notice marks a major success for the legal battle waged by Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad against organisations involved in the illegal use of Government land and evasion of Government revenue.