SC breather for six-storey building facing demolition

Chennai:

The demolition of six-floor building in Thousand Lights by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority following the High Court directive was stayed on Tuesday after the intervention of Supreme Court.
CMDA sources told Express that a temporary stay order from Supreme Court was obtained as such the demolition that began in the morning could not be carried on.
“We will vacate the stay and the building will be demolished,’ CMDA sources told Express.
“We knew about the apex court stay order only at 3.15 pm when the demolition work was going on. We immediately stopped it. We have only got the fax copy of the order. We have yet to get the official order,” CMDA sources said.  

The demolition work began on Tuesday amidst heavy police bandobust after Madras High Court ordered demolition of the entire six-floor building within two weeks as it has been constructed in violation of an agreement entered into between the owner of the land and the lessee and without proper approval from the CMDA.

A division bench comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and M Venugopal gave the direction to demolish the building on Anna Salai and Aziz Mulkh Street while allowing a writ petition from the Muslim Educational Society in Karaikal, represented by its secretary KEMI Kwaja Mohideen, on July 3 last.
Sources said initially the cost of the demolition may be met out by CMDA and then it will be recovered from the owner in compliance with High Court order.