'Illegal' construction case against Prajapati: HC seeks govt's reply on June 19

The Allahabad High Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a report on June 19 on the issue of an illegal construction in the city allegedly by former minister Gayatri Prajapati in connivance with some officials of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).
A vacation bench here of Justice Vivek Chaudhary also directed the state and the LDA chairman to act against the erring officials who allowed the illegal construction in Ruchi Khand locality here.
The court's direction came on a petition moved by Prajapati's son Anurag.
Though Anurag had filed the petition in anticipation of some relief from the court challenging the order of demolition, the court order came as a setback to him.

Observing that even though there is no stay order passed by any authority to stop demolition, no efforts have been made by the LDA officers to demolish the illegal construction, the court said the officials are in collusion with Anurag and his father and for reasons best known to them are not taking any effective steps for demolition of illegal constructions.
The bench further said, "It would have been appropriate to dismiss the petition at this stage but in that case this court has serious doubt that erring officers of the development authority will take any action at all against the illegal constructions of the petitioner or against the officers who have permitted such huge constructions to be raised without there being any sanctioned map."

Additional Advocate General M M Pandey and LDA lawyer Ratnesh Chandra submitted that their officials were ready and willing to comply with the law and would take immediate steps.
Both the counsel requested that the matter be adjourned only for few days and they would submit a report of compliance of law.
At this, the court posted the matter for June 19 directing the LDA chairman to file his personal affidavit showing the steps taken by the next date against the illegal construction and also against the officers and employees of the LDA, who permitted them in an illegal manner.