DDA says cops supporting encroachment, HC seeks police reply

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Delhi High Court today sought city police's response on DDA's plea alleging that police "facilitated and supported" illegal construction on the authority's land at I P extension here by neither lodging an FIR nor giving adequate force to help demolish it.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) contended before Justice V K Shali that Delhi Police did not provide sufficient force despite several letters from the land-owning body. It also alleged that the residents of the nearby Kirpal Cooperative Group Housing Society had grabbed its land measuring 2500 sq m which was earmarked for 'other community facilities'.

It contended that the encroachment/land-grabbing has been "facilitated, supported and encouraged by the respondent (Delhi Police)".

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The court issued notice to Delhi Police seeking its reply on DDA's plea before the next date of hearing on December 8 and also ordered that "status quo be maintained" with respect to the construction on the land in question.

Advocate Rajeev Bansal, appearing for DDA, argued that the alleged illegal construction came up overnight on October 23- 24 and police, instead of acting upon the authority's letters for lodging FIR and providing assistance for carrying out demolition, is behaving as a "mute spectator".

"Despite a number of complaints from DDA, the respondent (police) neither removed the illegal encroachment nor has it registered any FIR against the persons responsible for the encroachment and illegal construction.

"Every time an attempt was made by officials of DDA to remove the encroachment, even though police was present, they were threatened of dire consequences...," the authority has said in its plea filed through advocate Aman Nandrajog.

PTI