Uppal's Orchid hotel is a glaring example of nexus: HC

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today took strong exception to the fake demolition of an illegally-constructed five star hotel-Uppal's Orchid Hotel by the municipal authorities as reported by the media.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma observed, ''It is a serious matter. The official records have been forged. What a greater instance of nexus you need?'' The Uppal's Orchid Hotel was constructed on a piece of land near Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) without the approval of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD).

On the direction of the High Court the authorities had carried out demolition and a demolition fee had been levied from its owner B K Uppal. The CBI was probing the matter on the direction of the Court.

The Monitoring Committee comprising former Directors General of Police (DGPs) R S Gupta and B L Vohra submitted its report seeking direction for more demolition squads, modern equipment, more staff, and a mobile squads to check unregulated illegal constructions in the capital.

The vacancy of 269 posts of junior engineers out of the sanctioned 774 should be immediately filled up through recruitment, submitted the committee.

The court commissioners of various zones put forth their reports alleging that illegal constructions were going on despite its ban.

On the submission of Court Comissioner Arvind Gupta that cement mixing plants were operating on the banks of river Yamuna and discharging effluents to the river, the court directed him to submitt the report to the Justice Usha Mehra Committee.

Court Commissioner Kirit Uppal said that the owner of the Azmatulla Motor Works had been unauthorisedly occupying 800 sq yards of prime land on main road at Nizamuddin worth at least Rs 5 crore since 1980s and opened a market complex.

Despite informing the MCD, the authorities failed to take action as the owner had obtained a stay order on October 16, 1987 from the court on 200 sq yard and in the garb of it had been occupying the whole land, submitted Mr Uppal.

In his report, Court Commissioner Pushkar Sood said there was illegal construction in the Rama Road in Karol Bagh Zone. ''A big plot measuring about 3 acres had been subdivided and sold without seeking the permission from the MCD.'' The Court directed the CBI to probe the cancellation of the demolition drive by the DDA on a plot on July 25. ''Despite making all arrangements, who cancelled the demolition drive on a plot occupied by the people who had already been allotted alternative plots,'' said the Bench.

While adjourning the matter till August 17, the Court directed the Court Commissiner to submit copies of their reports to the Minitoring Committee and the MCD.

UNI PAT MSJ DB2005