Regularising of illegal structures will result in a time bomb: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court said today that with the AAP government "pushing for" regularising illegal constructions and the civic bodies allowing such buildings to remain in place by charging a compounding fee, it would result in creating a "time bomb".

"The municipal corporations may be compounding, but you (Delhi government) are pushing for regularising illegal constructions. By regularising all these illegalities, what you will get is a time bomb," the high court said.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also said that there appeared to be a "nexus" between the Delhi government and the corporations with regard to securing the illegal constructions.

The observations came during hearing on a batch of PILs seeking prevention of bonded labour, especially of children, and the implementation of schemes meant for rehabilitation of victims of this practice.

Most of the bonded labourers were employed in illegal factories in the national capital.

Referring to a recent fire in one such factory, which was illegally operating from a residential area, the court said that the deaths in the incident were tantamount to murder and called for serious action from the authorities.

It also said that had the authorities been doing their statutory duty, Delhi would not be what it is and such illegal factories would not be set up.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police counsel Rahul Mehra told the court that in the past five years, 192 FIRs were lodged with regard to bonded labour in which 72 are pending trial, in 105 cases investigation is going on and 15 matter have been decided.

The PILs have claimed non-enforcement of the Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme 2016 as no compensation had been released till date to the victims who were rescued last year.