Kolkata : Calcutta High Court on Friday told KMC commissioner and administrator Smita Pandey – summoned by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge – to ensure that no further new construction takes place at a site where the civic body, on court’s direction, demolished illegal construction.
If it’s illegal, why won’t the civic body demolish it itself? Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge remarked that illegal construction has been continuing; it happens in Kolkata, and likewise in Mumbai. In such cases, proactive action by the municipality is essential. Police protection is a separate matter, the CJ observed. The CBI was directed to carry out an initial inquiry. Based on whatever documents are available, and by collecting information from the municipality and the police, the investigation was directed to proceed. If necessary, the CBI may form an SIT, the division bench remarked.
The case will be taken up for hearing again on Oct 14. The CJ had previously ordered a CBI probe into around 43 illegal constructions in and around Keshav Chandra Sen street that surfaced during a public interest litigation hearing. The division bench of Chief Justice Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai was hearing a case regarding illegal constructions. It was alleged that KMC, on court’s order, conducted a demolition but fresh constructions took place in the same spot after some time. Angered by the ‘attitude’ of counsel representing KMC, the CJ called for the KMC commissioner to be present in court. He expressed dissatisfaction with the counsel’s ‘aloof’ attitude despite the court’s clear instructions. The state and KMC were directed to submit a report on steps taken to demolish illegal construction and prevent its resurgence.