Court allows Sahara to restore fence

The SC allows Sahara Group to restore a temporary fence at its disputed commercial property Sahara Shahar in Lucknow but directed both parties to maintain status quo, reports Bhadra Sinha.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Sahara Group to restore a temporary fence at its disputed commercial property Sahara Shahar in Lucknow but directed both, the Uttar Pradesh Government and the company, to maintain status quo.

HT Image

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) had on June 23 demolished the 750-metre fence on the ground that it was constructed prior to the Supreme Court ordering a status quo. Both, the LDA and Sahara Group, had moved court on Tuesday seeking contempt action against each other.

A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir disapproved LDA’s decision to carry out further demolition. The bench said: “If you felt there was violation of the court order, you should have approached the court to initiate contempt. How can you take law and order in your hand?”

It, however, did not act upon the cross contempt petitions filed by the two sides and disposed them along with the UP Government’s main petition challenging the order of Allahabad High Court that had directed LDA to restore possession of land on which the demolition exercise was carried out. The bench set aside the order of Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court that had on June 19 ordered restoration of land to Sahara Group within 24 hours.

The court said its order of status quo would operate until the High Court decides the petition of Sahara Group against LDA in which the company has claimed the demolition in Sahara Saher complex took place without a notice to its management.