Nashik: Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) plans to raze illegal religious structures. The civic body has requested police protection for its staff involved in the exercise.NMC has to submit an affidavit to Bombay High Court by August 13 on the issue of demolishing of illegal religious structures. The HC had earlier ordered the civic body to raze structures that have come up illegally and cause obstruction to traffic movement.Municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe held a meeting on Tuesday with police officers and corporation officials involved in clearing encroachments. The resident deputy collector of Nashik Ramdas Khedkar and officials from MHADA too were present.“NMC has sought help of city police in providing security for civic officials during the demolition drive. Once police protection is in place, the drive will begin,” an official said. NMC has so far demolished 450 illegal religious structures in the last couple of years. The rest will soon be removed.Hearing on Bhide case beginsThe district court on Tuesday began hearing on a case against Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide. Nashik Municipal Corporation has taken a case against Bhide, who claimed that women eating mangoes from his orchard gave birth to sons. The lawyer representing NMC informed the court about the details of the case. No lawyer represented Bhide during the hearing. The next date of hearing is yet to be announced.

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