Tendulkar fined Rs 4.75 lakh!

Hours after Sachin Tendulkar moved into his dream home in Bandra, the BMC imposed a Rs 4.75lakh penalty on him for moving in without acquiring an Occupancy Certificate (OC).

The legendary batsman received the rude shock as he moved into his five-storeyed home at Perry Cross Road in Bandra (West). Confirming the same, Chief Engineer (Development Plan) R Kukanur, said, "He will be penalised Rs 4.75 lakh for inhabiting a house before getting the OC. It was due in procedure and he would have got the OC in the next four days."

As per the law, one cannot enter a flat or building without receiving an OC for it. A senior official from the building proposals department said action could be initiated against Sachin by slapping a notice under Section 350 (A) of the BMC Act for occupying premises without an OC.

The official further added, "A person who illegally occupies a house without an OC can be prosecuted, but it rarely happens as the person would receive the OC in a few days time. Other than the OC bit, there are no violations in the building and Sachin should have waited for four days before performing the grihapravesh puja on Wednesday."

Meanwhile, other sources have revealed that the batsman has purchased over 40 exquisite paintings and showpieces from an art store.

'Waive penalty'
Meanwhile, the state government asked BMC Commissioner Subodh Kumar to waive the penalty.

Textiles minister Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan, who is the guardian minister for Mumbai suburbs, said he had spoken to Kumar.

"Sachin is an icon who has brought international laurels to the country. Subodh Kumar told me that he would examine the issue and act accordingly," Khan told reporters yesterday. The minister said Sachin had complied with formalities for getting the OC.

"Normally, one moves into a house after getting the OC. Here, he has submitted documents for the OC, but shifted into the new house without getting the certificate, which according to corporation officials attracts a penalty. He should be exempted from penalty as a special case," the minister added.

However, when MiD DAY approached Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sudhir Naik, PA to the municipal commissioner, he said, "We have not received any intimation from the state government." Subodh Kumar too, remained unavailable for comment on the issue.

Money matter
Sachin had purchased the 8,998 sq ft Dorab Villa in Bandra for Rs 39 crore in 2007 from the Satra Group. Reportedly, he is pumping in about the same amount to redecorate his home.

Did you know?
Sachin's newly acquired home was built in 1920 by a Parsi family, the Wardens.

Tendulkar breaks 17,000-run barrier

Having smashed a number of records in his awe-inspiring career, Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] became the first player in the history of the game to cross the 17,000-run mark on Thursday.

Tendulkar was chasing the milestone from the onset of the series against Australia [ Images ] and achieved the feat when he, requiring seven runs coming into the fifth ODI, played an on-drive to fetch three runs off pacer Ben Hilfenhaus [ Images ].

The 35,000 strong packed crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi [ Images ] International stadium erupted to joy as Tendulkar reached the magic figure in the company of opening partner Virender Sehwag [ Images ].

Tendulkar reached his new ODI milestone in his 435th match and 66th tie against the World champions.

Veteran Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya [ Images ] is second on the list with 13,377 runs while Australian captain Ricky Ponting [ Images ] has a lot of catching to do with 12,241 runs under his belt.

The diminutive Mumbaikar, who made his ODI debut Pakistan in 1989, is already way ahead of his contemporaries when it comes to accumulating runs.

Rated the world's best batsman after Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman, Tendulkar has an awe-inspiring Test record.

In the whopping 159 matches that he has played, he scored 12,773 runs at an average of 54.58.