Court restrains Chandigarh admn from claiming ₹31.8 cr as fine from GMSH chemist

The Chandigarh health department had issued the notice to the chemist, Sunil Kumar Jain, for illegally extending the shop by permanently merging the adjacent passage since 2010, thereby doubling the shop’s size

A local court has ordered a stay on the UT administration’s February 16 notice demanding ₹31.8 crore as damages from the chemist at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16.

The director, health and family welfare, Chandigarh, had also imposed a fine of ₹29,000 as cost of clearing the passage encroached by the chemist shop. (HT Photo)

The health department had issued the notice to the chemist, Sunil Kumar Jain, for illegally extending the shop by permanently merging the adjacent passage since 2010, thereby doubling the shop’s size.

While a detailed order is awaited, Kumar’s counsel Munish Dewan said the court had granted a stay on the notice and listed the case for April 11 for the next hearing.

On February 14, following the Punjab and Haryana high court’s stay on the lower court’s order, the shop owner was directed to immediately vacate the public passage, restore the load bearing wall and hand over the physical possession of the shop by February 15. But as the chemist locked up the shop, the health department had cleared the public passage.

Subsequently, the administration had slapped a fine of ₹31.8 crore on the shop owner as damages for the encroachment, apart from a fine of ₹29,000 as cost of clearing the passage. The administration had also warned the chemist of a monthly fine of ₹17 lakh in case the order is not adhered to.