HC concerned over attacks on officials implementing demolition orders

The high court has expressed serious concern over increasing attacks on municipal officials executing judicial orders to demolish illegal constructions allegedly at the behest of builder mafia. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice RS Endlaw was worried about the police lethargy in probing such incidents and bringing the culprits to book.

The high court has expressed serious concern over increasing attacks on municipal officials executing judicial orders to demolish illegal constructions allegedly at the behest of builder mafia. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice RS Endlaw was worried about the police lethargy in probing such incidents and bringing the culprits to book.

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“We are concerned about the safety and security of officials enforcing the rule of law. Unless strict and immediate action is taken, it may demoralise other officers who are similarly expected to take action against unauthorised construction or encroachment,” said the court

The court was pointing to attacks on officials in Chandni Chowk and Gulabi Bagh in the past few months.

The court was hearing a matter in which it had taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about brutal attack on Ansar Alam, executive engineer (city zone) of the MCD by unidentified men near Rajghat. He was assaulted for taking demolition action in respect of certain illegal constructions.

MCD lawyer Ajay Arora told the court on February 23 that one reason why such incidents were on the rise was because proper investigation never took place in such cases. The court has now sought a status report from the police by July 11.

Unauthorised constructions near Jama Masjid

Angry over complaints of illegal construction adjacent to Jama Masjid allegedly by its Shahi Imam, the high court on Thursday asked the authorities, including the ASI, to stop disfiguration of the site near the monument. The court issued notices to Shahi Imam, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bhukhari, and his three brothers, Syed Hasan Bhukhari, Syed Yahia Bhukhari and Syed Tarikh Bhukhari. HTC