Mehrauli demolition drive: Delhi High Court grants interim relief (for now) in 15 petitions

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to halt its demolition drive till February 16 in Mehrauli Archaeological Park area with respect to certain properties whose owners have approached the court. .Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora was hearing a batch of nearly 15 petitions against the drive. .After hearing the case, ordered the DDA to maintain status quo on the subject properties. The bench also asked each of the petitioners and their counsel to meet the Deputy Director of Land Management at DDA's office at 3:30 pm on Wednesday and verify their title deeds. The court also directed the DDA to file a demarcation report regarding the properties by 12 noon tomorrow. .Justice Arora said that she will hear the matters on Thursday. .The DDA is reportedly carrying out a demolition drive in Mehrauli to clear encroached forest land ahead of the next month’s G20 meeting, which is slated to be held in the Mehrauli Archeological Park.The authority has said that the drive is intended to clear the unauthorised encroachments on the government's land, which houses protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).However, the drive has led to many people being left without homes and many people have approached the Delhi High Court seeking relief. .Earlier in the day, Justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice to the DDA on a plea filed by the Mehrauli Minorities Resident and Shop Owners Welfare Association seeking stay on the demolition till a fresh demarcation is carried out. That petition is now listed on Friday before a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma which is already dealing with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition on the issue. The DDA has argued that the High Court has passed several orders in the same PIL directing it to rid the Mehrauli Archaeological Park of encroachment.