HC allows time to serve eviction orders upon encroachers

Mumbai, Nov 27 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today allowed time till December 18 to the state Government to serve eviction orders illegal dwellers who have encroached upon the Haji Ali Dargah land.

A division bench comprising justices F I Rebeillo and Anup Mohta was hearing a petition filed by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust for protection of the mosque against encroachers.

Additional government pleader Amjad Sayed sought time from court as the deputy collector (encroachment/removal), after surveying the Dargah premises, has submitted his report enlisting the eligible and illegal hutment dwellers.

According to the report, there are 19 hutments of which three are legal as they pertain to the pre-1995 period, while two others had suits pending before the court. The rest were ineligible and would be served orders and appropriate eviction process would be initiated, Adv Sayed told the court.

Around 100 illegal structures were removed from the Dargah grounds last year. ''These are the last of the encroachers who are left to be served orders and evicted,'' Adv Sayed told the court.

UNI ARM SAM HT2235