SHILLONG: A total of 13 owners of high rise buildings in the city got relief after the Supreme Court stayed the demolition of additional floors of the buildings constructed in violation of the MUDA Building Byelaws as per the September 28 order of the High Court of Meghalaya.
While four owners of high rise buildings – B.D. Marbaniang (Demseiniong, Laitumkhrah), Manchin Fincon Pvt. Ltd. (Jail Road), Sanjay Jhunjhunwalla (Bivar Road) and Nicholas Wallang (Boyce Road) – secured the stay order on Monday, nine more owners of high rise buildings – Narayan Prasad Jhunjhunwala (Police Bazar), Nilesh Tiberwalla (Thana Road), Satyabrata Baidya (Jail Road), Ajit Das Gupta (Jail Road) M/s Mentok Ri-Project (Bivar Road), Maruf Elahi (Bivar Road), Beroline Khongshei (Laban), Mohendro Rapsang (Keating Road) and Saini Pala (Motinagar) – got relief on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court after hearing the Special Leave Petition had also issued notices to the State Government, MUDA and the petitioners who filed the PIL.
“There shall be stay of demolition of any portion of petitioners’ building in the meantime. Further we restrain the petitioners from making any further construction in the meantime,” said the order of the Supreme Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy.
The building owners were represented by a galaxy of as many as 14 advocates including former Congress Minister Kapil Sibal.
Some of the remaining seven owners of high rise building are camping in Delhi to get the demolition order vacated by the Supreme Court.
The High Court of Meghalaya Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice T.N.K. Singh in its order on September 28 had set a 15-day deadline for the demolition of additional floors (above G+3), while asking the CBI to initiate probe against MUDA officials who had granted building permission and submit the report by October 15.
The order of the High Court was the culmination of the hearing related to the PIL filed by practicing advocates J.M. Thangkhiew, Gilbert Anthony Dkhar, Rijiedlang Kharsyad and Lalsolomon Darnei in April last year.
Advocates K. Paul and J.M. Thangkhiew had appeared for all the petitioners.
