BREAKING: 'Is There Ego Issue'? Supreme Court Summons MCD Commissioner For Failing To Remove Debris In Lodhi-Era Gumti

The Supreme Court today took a serious view of the consistent violations of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ("MCD"), failing to remove debris for the restoration of the Lodhi-era Shaikh Ali 'Gumti', a 500-year-old tomb of archaeological importance, which was illegally occupied by the Defence Colony Welfare Association (DCWA), Delhi, and where the MCD operated an unauthorised office and parking.

A bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah had been monitoring the matters for months. Since Justice Dhulia retired last month, the matter is now heard by Justice Amanullah and Justice SVN Bhatti.

Both judges took an exception to the MCD's recent affidavit that the debris around the Gumti has been cleared, and the only debris left is that caused during the restoration process. This was after, the Court's appointed Commissioner, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayan, submitted that he visited yesterday at 4:45 pm and there is debris lying from the three-month-old other demolitions that had taken place of illegal constructions pursuant to the Court's orders. 

On this, Justice Bhatti asked MCD's Counsel, Senior Advocate, Garima Prasad: "Ms Garima Prasad, is there any ego issue in this matter? Please answer me. MCD is the biggest corporation in the country. But you will not have an answer for the last question. Please look at the photographs filed by Gopal Sankarnayan. An MCD with wherewithal, as I understand, it hardly takes between half an hour to one hour to do the cleaning job. Unless someone thinks that let the orders keep coming, I will continue to do what I have been doing."

How much time does it take to clean debris of 4-5 inches? You are called upon to make a particular site clean if a dignitary is coming, you will clean in 2 hours. Is this the respect you show to the court's order? I am sorry, I had enough experience as a high court judge. I had a experience in dealing the worst in the country brahmapuram debris. Even there, I did not find such a problem I am finding here."

The bench ordered: "Having considering the matter, we find two months communication gap between the Court and the MCD. We would thus like the MCD Commissioner to be personally present at the Court at 3 pm today. So that whatever the order court passes is taken seriously in spirit. We are constrained to pass this court because we have given sufficient time for the MCD to come clean but we are constrained to observe our hopes have been dashed by the conduct and stand taken."