Delhi Police's plans of moving into new headquarters hit Vastu roadblock

Sources told HT that an official, at a meeting to review the status of the 18-storey complex last week, raised concerns about the building’s incompatibility with Vastukala, an ancient Hindu philosophy of architecture.

After being delayed twice already, Delhi Police’s dream of moving into their swanky new headquarters in the heart of the city have hit an astrological roadblock.

Sources told HT an official at a meeting to review the status of the 18-storey complex last week raised concerns about the building’s incompatibility with Vastukala, an ancient Hindu philosophy of architecture.

The official told the meeting of bureaucrats the direction of the toilets was not compatible with Vastu principles because they were located in a sacred corner of the Wi-Fi enabled building.

“The biggest objection was that the proposed structure of the building has toilets on each floor located on the northeast-side, referred to as the Ishan cone (the corner of God). This is the purest part of the structure and should ideally be used to establish a temple,” said the source familiar with the proceedings of the meeting.

“He also said we should not desecrate this area in any way, especially by allowing the construction of a toilet there. It will hinder prosperity and trigger unfortunate events, according to the tenets of Vastu.”

The huge Rs 1,094.8-crore office and residential complex behind the Parliament Street police station was scheduled to be ready early next year, but construction has not begun yet and it is already delayed by over a year-and-a-half.

According to sources, the Commissioner, BS Bassi, has been requested to allow a team of Vastu experts to examine the site. The final decision on any architectural change lies solely in his hands.

Former Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar kicked off the project on December 6, 2012 with a bhoomi poojan, or foundation-laying ceremony. A private construction agency was scheduled to wrap up the project within 840 days and police were expected to move in by March-April, 2015.

Delhi Police said the delay would only lead to a negligible change in construction plans.

"In any case, we have around two years and three months to seek completion of construction not from the day of the bhoomi pujan but from the day construction actually begins; which will be soon," said a police officer.