The high court on Thursday ordered the demolition of three floors of a five-storeyed building in the Watgunge area that were constructed illegally.
The division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee was hearing a PIL that mentioned that three floors of the building in Borough IX of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) had been constructed illegally.
The complainant — Shahbuddin, a resident of the area — had also alleged that police had mounted false charges against him since he raised his voice against the unauthorised floors.
“The KMC should issue notices upon the illegal occupants staying at the unauthorised third, fourth and fifth floors of the building asking them to vacate the flats by April 30. If they fail to vacate, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation would have to forcefully vacate the said flats by May 16. In that case, the Kolkata Police commissioner is directed to provide assistance to the KMC,” said the chief justice.
The court criticised the role of a KMC engineer for allegedly not inspecting the building with unauthorised floors and said that he could be suspended.
“This court can issue an instant order suspending the concerned engineer...,” the judge said.
To state counsel Biswabrata Basu Mallik, he said: “Please set an example that common people do not construct a building, or portion of any building illegally.”
The court also ordered the state to submit photographs of the building showing if the floors had been demolished.