Retd judges, senior lawyers complain to HC about illegal encroachment near their locality

The Delhi High Court today sought the response of local authorities and the AAP government on a PIL initiated by it taking cognisance of a letter received from senior lawyers and retired judges complaining of illegal encroachments near south Delhi's Neeti Bagh area.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar took suo motu cognisance of the joint letter sent by former attorney general and senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, retired Supreme Court judge S C Agarwal, retired Delhi High Court judge M L Varma, Congress leader and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand.

The court directed local authorities, especially the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, to carry out physical inspection of the area within a week and file a report in four weeks thereafter.

With the direction, the bench listed the matter for further hearing on July 20.

In their letter they have claimed that traffic jams, illegal encroachments, unauthorised parkings and various other activities near their area, Neeti Bagh, was impeding the family life of all the residents there.

In their plea for judicical intervention, they have sought directions to authorities to stop a juice shop and other vendors as well as a taxi stand there from encroaching upon public land.

They have also alleged that the nearby land was being used in an unhygienic manner by the juice shop operators as well as other vendors and shops located there.