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HC seeks UP govt, LMC replies on Sahara Shahar sealing by Oct 30
A division bench comprising justices Sangeeta Chandra and Amitabh Rai passed the order on the petition moved by the Sahara group. The court also directed that any cattle left inside the premises be shifted to Kanha Upvan and properly taken care of.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) to file their replies by October 30 on a plea filed by Sahara India Corporation Limited challenging the sealing of Sahara Shahar in Gomti Nagar.
A division bench comprising justices Sangeeta Chandra and Amitabh Rai passed the order on the petition moved by the Sahara group. The court also directed that any cattle left inside the premises be shifted to Kanha Upvan and properly taken care of.
Sahara Shahar, a 170-acre township, was sealed by the civic body over alleged violations of lease and licence agreements, a claim contested by the Sahara group, which recently approached the court against the action.
After hearing the matter at length, the court observed that the issue required consideration and directed the parties to exchange pleadings.
The Sahara group opposed the corporation’s move to take possession of the township and seal all its six entry gates, arguing that no inventory of assets or valuable items inside the premises had been prepared. The group also alleged that the sealing was carried out in haste, without proper notice or an opportunity to be heard.
Opposing the plea, the counsel for LMC said that the terms and conditions of the lease deed granted in 1994 were violated and hence notices were issued in 2020 and again in 2025. The civic body contended that the sealing was done only after due process and adequate opportunity of hearing.
Directing both LMC and the state government to submit their replies, the court fixed October 30 as the next date of hearing.
