India, Dec. 31 -- Residents of Lokmanya Nagar in Sadashiv Peth on Wednesday welcomed the Bombay High Court's ruling as a triumph for sustained citizen activism, saying months of protests, complaints, and representations finally compelled the judiciary to recognise their "pain and anguish" over stalled redevelopment projects.

The High Court strongly criticised the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) for "succumbing to political interference" and illegally delaying redevelopment, while clearing the way for two cooperative housing societies, Sunglory and Nutan CHS, to proceed.

A division bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe quashed what it termed a "factually incorrect" and "illegal" stay imposed on the soci...