Court commissioners: Delhi HC directs MCD to reply by Jan 11

New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the MCD to reply by January 11 as to why courts cannot intervene in the event of any false affidavits filed by local body officials in the court.

A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Rekha Sharma asked former Law Minister and counsel for the MCD Ravi Shankar Prasad whether the court can verify the false affidavits by appointing court commissioners.

The MCD has filed a petition in the Court to withdraw the court commissioners and the monitoring commitee as they cannot interfere in the administrative work of MCD.

Mr Prasad citing the recent Supreme Court judgement which observed that courts should not exceed their limits and interfere in the adminstrative work of the Government, asked the Court to withdraw the monitoring committee and the court commissioners, ''who were interfering in the administrative work'' of MCD.

The bench asked Mr Prasad that if they were quoting Supreme Court order then why did they not approach the apex court for relief.

Mr Prasad failed to give any reply when the Court asked him ''whether a court can appoint a court commissioner to verify the facts of their affidavits.'' Earlier, the MCD officers were found filing false affidavits in the Court regarding the demolitions undertaken by them. Many houses were shown to be demolished on the papers and hefty amounts were collected from the department for the demolition work but, actually they were standing intact.

When these discrepancies came to the notice of the Court, it started appointing Court commissioners.

Many MCD officers found to be hand-in-glove with the land mafia were suspended. CBI inquiry was initiated against those who were found to be guilty.

The Court had directed that not only those who violated the laws should be penalised but the officials who abetted the illegal construction should also be penalised.

Mr Prasad said he would consult the MCD officials and reply to the court on January 11 clarifying under which law the court was prohibited to appoint court commisioners to verify the veracity of MCD officials' stand as mentioned in their affidavits.

UNI SNG SP RP KN1942