Almost two years after Mehrangir – home to Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the architect of nuclear science in India – was sold, the building is being pulled down to make way for a multi-storeyed building.

The 17, 550sq-ft house near Kamala Nehru Park on Malabar Hill, was sold for Rs372 crore to Smita Crishna-Godrej in a public auction conducted by its custodian the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in June 2014. Smita, sister of industrialist Jamshyd Godrej, is a director in Godrej Holdings Ltd, and Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research and Raptor Research and Conservation Foundation.

In March, the Supreme Court had asked the Maharashtra government to decide whether the bungalow can qualify as an “ancient monument under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act”, before disposing a petition filed by Raam Dhuri, president of National Forum for Aided Institutions. The Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee had opined that Mehrangir does need the “heritage structure” tag.

“While there is no stay order on the demolition, the state government has not communicated their stand on the apex court’s directions. Even before their decision, the bungalow is being torn down,” said Prashant Worlikar, president of Atomic Energy Workers and Staff Union.

Months before the run up to the sale of the bungalow, two labour union leaders had moved the Bombay high court seeking directions to stop the auction of Mehrangir.