HC defers hearing on Adarsh's plea against demolition order

The Bombay High Court today said it would hear a petition by the scam-tainted Adarsh Housing Society against the demolition order of the Environment and Forests Ministry after the Supreme Court decides its plea seeking transfer of the matter to National Green Tribunal.
Adarsh's lawyer advocate Saket Mone told the division bench of justices V M Kanade and S C Gupte that the petition in the Supreme Court would be heard on October 21.
The high court then adjourned the society's petition against the demolition order to November 11.
MoEF, in January 2011, ordered demolition of the controversial high-rise in the plush Colaba area here for alleged violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms, and for not obtaining permission from the Ministry before construction.

The society's contention is that it had obtained all the necessary permissions from the state.
In January, it filed an application seeking transfer of its petition against the demolition order to the Tribunal. It cited Supreme Court's order in Bhopal gas tragedy case that all cases which question the provisions of Environment Act should be heard by the Green Tribunal.
Last month the high court rejected this prayer, so the matter reached the apex court.
According to the society, when it filed the petition in February 2011 before high court challenging the demolition order, the tribunal wasn't operating.