The Supreme Court has ordered that all stay orders by the Delhi High Court and MCD tribunal on unauthorised constructions in Chandni Chowk will end from December 31. Authorities, with police support, can now proceed with demolition and removal.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday announced that, with effect from December 31, all stay orders issued by the Delhi High Court and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) tribunal against the demolition of unauthorised constructions in the Chandni Chowk area will be vacated.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh clarified that any aggrieved party could approach the Supreme Court regarding the matter.
The bench stated.
“All the stay orders granted by the appellate tribunal municipal corporation of Delhi and Delhi High Court will be vacated. They will become ineffective with effect from December 31, 2025,”
The Supreme Court also directed MCD authorities to implement its orders for the demolition and removal of unauthorised constructions. The bench further explained that
“in case of any grievance with regard to order vacating the stay, [parties] could approach it before December 31.”
To ensure smooth execution, the Delhi Police Commissioner has been asked to provide necessary logistical support to the municipal authorities for the removal of illegal constructions.
During the hearing, it was brought to the court’s attention that the post of presiding officer of the appellate tribunal had been vacant for a long time.
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The bench requested the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya to take appropriate steps regarding the vacancy.
The Supreme Court’s order follows information presented by MCD counsel that numerous stay orders had been passed by both the tribunal and the High Court, delaying action against illegal constructions. The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
The court emphasized that its current decision specifically addresses the unauthorised change of use or conversion of residential properties into non-residential purposes in the Chandni Chowk area.
Earlier, on July 18, the Supreme Court had strongly reprimanded unauthorised construction in Chandni Chowk despite a court-ordered ban, instructing the Delhi Police to “arrest those putting even a brick.”
Similarly, on May 23, the court had directed the police commissioner to deploy a team in Chandni Chowk to take action against individuals carrying out illegal construction despite the ban.
The current order came after it was reported that, despite earlier court directions to halt the construction of commercial complexes and the demolition of residential buildings in the Fatehpuri area of Chandni Chowk, unauthorised construction continued.
The case is based on a plea by a petitioner-in-person who claimed that illegal construction was ongoing in collusion with civic authorities.
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