SC orders to seal illegal construction in Chandni Chowk

The apex court said that no residential property would be converted into a commercial property and warned that any collusion between the builder and the municipal officials would be taken seriously.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court reprimanded the illegal construction in Chandni Chowk area despite the court's order and asked the Delhi Police to arrest anyone who places even a single brick there. A bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi ordered that the Delhi Police Commissioner should deploy a regular patrolling team in the area and take immediate action wherever there is illegal construction.

The bench said, the Commissioner of Police will deploy a team to patrol the area and ensure that all the demolition orders passed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which have not been stayed by the courts, are carefully followed and where illegal constructions are taking place, such properties should be sealed immediately.

The bench directed that the local DCP file a compliance report on the next hearing. The apex court said that no residential property would be converted into a commercial property and warned that any collusion between the builder and the municipal officials would be taken seriously.

The apex court said, you (police) deploy teams for patrolling every day and if anyone is found keeping a brick, arrest him immediately. This is a big scam going on in connivance with municipal officials. This should be stopped. The bench cited the case of an elderly woman living on the ground floor of a residential property and said that the second floor of the same property was illegally converted into a commercial space by the builder.

The apex court told the lawyer appearing for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, "From 2022, the builder started construction work on this property. The elderly woman living on the ground floor kept wandering from door to door to stop the construction work. You do nothing. When we give orders, you go and break everything. Where were you all this time?" The bench asked the officials to give details of the builder and said that appropriate punitive action would be taken against him.

The Supreme Court also observed that many builders and municipal officials are in collusion with each other. Whoever is found keeping a brick, he should be arrested from there, it is necessary to stop this entire fraud. The court also directed the DSP of the area to submit a compliance report on the next hearing.

An old woman had complained to the Supreme Court that the builder started illegal construction work on the second floor above her house. The court said that the woman had been complaining for years, but the officials remained silent. You arrived when we ordered, where were you before? The court also ordered to identify the builder and take action against him.