No demolition of Adarsh building for now, says SC

New Delhi, July 22: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Adarsh Society building will not be demolished for now. It also directed the Defence Ministry to fully secure the building until the appeals are fully decided.

The Supreme Court is hearing an appeal filed by the residents of the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society, a 31-storey high rise in Colaba Mumbai.

The appeal was filed after the Bombay High Court directed the demolition of the building. The society has been mired in controversy after reports had emerged that the society had been promoted by politicians, bureaucrats and ministers. The society was specifically earmarked as a housing project for the Kargil war widows.

The Bombay High Court in its order passed in April this year, ordered the demolition of the building. The court had directed the Centre to consider initiating criminal proceedings against those involved. The court had however granted a 12-week stay on the demolition.

The residents said that they had committed no wrong. The land was allotted by the Maharashtra government, and the MMRDA gave the permission to construct this building. The MMRDA even filed an affidavit that there has been no unauthorised construction in this case.

The affidavit was part of this hearing as well. "We were even given occupancy certificates in 2010," the residents stated in their petition.

OneIndia News