Mumbai: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's bungalow in Alibaug, around 95km from Mumbai, will be demolished for violating coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms.

Maharashtra environment minister Ramdas Kadam said on Tuesday that he had asked the Raigad district collector to take steps immediately to bring down the bungalow.

"There are 121 illegal bungalows in Alibaug and 151 illegal bungalows in Murud. I have asked the district collector to demolish the bungalow owned by Nirav Modi as it is illegal," Kadam said after a review meeting.

He said a decision regarding the other bungalows was pending before the National Green Tribunal as many of the owners had obtained stay orders from courts.

Bombay High Court had last week pulled up the Raigad district administration for failing to act against the bungalow of Nirav, who has fled the country after allegedly defrauding Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore along with his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Activist and resident of Alibaug, Surendra Dhavale, had filed a petition in Bombay High Court seeking a direction to demolish "unauthorised constructions within the low and high tide areas" in villages around Alibaug.

The petition had claimed that around 175 unauthorised bungalows had come up in Kihim, Varsoli, Sasvane, Kolgaon, Dokvade and other areas. Nirav's bungalow is in Alibaug's Kihim village.

Last week, Raigad district collector Vijay Suryavanshi had submitted an affidavit claiming that Nirav's bungalow had been exempt from the demolition drive as it was built before 1986, when CRZ norms were not applicable.

The collector had also informed the court that the bungalow had been attached by the Enforcement Directorate and could not be demolished without the agency's consent.

"The land is meant for agricultural purposes and not private residences. Nirav Modi was granted permission for 390 square metres but his bungalow covers more than 1,000 square metres," said U.B. Nigot, Dhavale's counsel.

A division bench of Justices A.S. Oka and R.I. Chagla had expressed dissatisfaction with the collector's affidavit. "The local authorities' behaviour concerning this bungalow is forcing us to direct the principal secretary of the state revenue department to initiate a probe," the high court had said.

The state government had assured the court on August 16 that the decision on Nirav's bungalow would be reviewed.

"We have written to the Enforcement Directorate. As soon as we get the green signal from the agency the demolition will be carried out," said Suryavanshi, the Raigad district collector.