High Court takes up PIL on illegal highrise buildings
SHILLONG: The name of Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, who was holding Urban Affairs portfolio, figures in the report of the CBI as one of the persons involved in granting permission for illegal construction of highrise buildings.
The PIL on the illegal construction of the buildings came up for hearing before the Chief Justice of High Court of Meghalaya.
The report of CBI which was earlier submitted to the Court was opened and perused by the Chief Justice.
“CBI is directed to pinpoint and give specific names of persons who are found involved in granting permission for illegal construction of high rise buildings by way of additional report”, the Court ordered.
While K. Paul, counsel, appeared for the petitioner, VK Jindal, senior counsel, assisted by QB Lamare, counsel, represented the respondents.
The Chief Justice after going through the CBI report read out the name of Ampareen during the hearing and later it was sealed.
Source said that the CBI has to make three separate lists in the category of politicians, government official and individuals among the 15 names mentioned in the report.
The matter will come up for hearing on Tuesday.
Earlier, the High Court while ordering the demolition of additional floors of several out of the 24 listed buildings constructed beyond ground floor plus 3, had asked the CBI to register ” preliminary enquiry against the officers of MUDA who granted permissions for construction to the concerned respondents and by their acts of commission and omission benefitted the respondents and also others whose buildings could not be brought to the notice of the Court during the consideration of the case”.
The order further said that the CBI shall also proceed against such builders and other persons who have been or were likely to be benefitted by such acts of commission and omission on the part of the officers of MUDA during the course of enquiry.
“The CBI is also directed to find out from the records of MUDA, as to, apart from the instant cases, in how many more such cases of illegal constructions presently existing in the city, the building owners/builders have been benefitted by the acts of commission and omission on the part of officers of MUDA”, the order had said. Though many owners of building secured interim stay against the demolition of additional floors of their buildings from the Supreme Court, it did not prevent the CBI from carrying out investigations as ordered by the High Court.