JUDGMENT

MS Sonak, J. - Heard learned counsel for the parties.

2. Rule. The Rule is made returnable immediately at the request of and with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties.

3. Mr Anturkar learned senior advocate argued these matters along with Mr Ajinkya Udane on behalf of the petitioners in all these petitions. Mr R.M. Pethe argued these matters on behalf of the Pune Municipal Corporation ('PMC') in all these petitions.

4. Mr Anturkar requested that Writ Petition No. 5816 of 2023 be taken up as the lead petition because the legal issues raised in this petition were common to the remaining petitions in this batch. He submitted that there could be some minor differences in the fact position in each of these petitions. If necessary, he would make submissions on such factual aspects separately in each of the petitions. Mr Pethe learned counsel for the PMC, handed in a chart showing the factual differences in each of these petitions.

5. The petitioners had constructed structures in the green belt zone on the banks of the river Mutha in Pune. Barring one of the structures that was used for residential purposes, the rest of the structures were used for commercial purposes li