‘Civic bodies moving in right direction’: Supreme Court won’t disturb HC proceedings over Delhi building collapse

Sinha also highlighted that demolitions have started in Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar. “But the problem is, I can understand it’s very difficult to demolish … But then it has to be acted upon”. (File)

The Supreme Court on Thursday accepted suggestions of the court-appointed amicus curiae not to transfer proceedings initiated by the Delhi High Court following a building collapse in Satya Niketan — noting that the civic bodies in the Capital are moving in the “right direction”. The top court, instead, directed the HC to monitor the case at short intervals.

“We accept the suggestion of the learned Amicus Curiae, and for the present, do not disturb the position of the case before the High Court, which shall continue. The High Court is requested to monitor the case at short intervals,” a bench of Justices A Amanullah and R Mahadevan said.

The collapse of the five-storey building, which housed a hostel for students, claimed seven lives on Sunday.

Amicus curiae Senior Advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha had approached the court following the collapse, urging that the inspection of illegal constructions earlier ordered by it be extended beyond the areas presently identified, and that authorities concerned undertake a time-bound inspection and safety audit of PGs, private hostels and similar facilities for students situated in and around colleges and universities across Delhi.

On Tuesday, the top court had expressed inclination to transfer the proceedings to itself, saying it intended to expand the scope and lay down pan-India guidelines.

However, on Thursday, Sinha said the inspections and demolitions earlier ordered by the SC as well as the actions directed by the HC were acted upon, adding that “things were moving in the right direction”.

He added that the proceedings before the HC are confined to PGs, but there are issues of violations at gyms, coaching centres, BPOs and other such places too. “During inspection, my juniors were there with IIT professors. Some of the buildings were employing 500 people,” he submitted.

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Echoing the concern, Justice Amanullah said, “…They pack them like sardines, hundreds into one room. Whether the structure is capable of that, no adequate ingress, egress, nothing,”

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) “has taken several steps”.

Sinha also highlighted that demolitions have started in Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar. “But the problem is, I can understand it’s very difficult to demolish … But then it has to be acted upon”.

Sinha urged the top court to monitor the proceedings initiated by the HC instead of transferring the same and to direct the authorities concerned to present the compliance reports to the HC as well as the SC.

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In its order, the apex court also noted that on Monday, the HC had asked the MCD “to conduct an exercise and submit a report”.

The matter has been listed for September 25.

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 26 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with the daily newspaper, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

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