SHILLONG: The Supreme Court has refused to interfere in the matter of illegal high-rises in Shillong city.
A lawyer dealing with the matter said the Apex Court disposed of the case and referred it to the Gauhati High Court due to the urgency on the part of the petitioner. Also, the High Court of Meghalaya has only a single judge bench.
The lawyer said no time frame has been fixed by the Apex Court to dispose of the case in the Gauhati High Court.
Earlier, the Meghalaya High Court had set 15-day deadline for demolition of illegal buildings which breached the G+3 construction by-laws of the state government. At least 24 buildings were sealed following the court order.
The High Court had also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to register preliminary inquiry against the functionaries of MUDA who granted permissions to builders flouting rules.
The matter pertaining to the CBI inquiry was also referred to the Gauhati High Court.
However, after the order of the High Court, around 13 affected building owners and the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority filed petitions before the Supreme Court.
The next hearing will be on April 23.