The High Court on Thursday lashed out at the government for violating its order in connection with eviction of Sarakki lake encroachment and directed the Tahsildar, Bengaluru South to be present before it.
Nandini Lakeview Apartment Owners’ Welfare Association had filed a contempt petition stating that the authorities have been demolishing its building despite the status quo order from the court. The court on Thursday morning had ordered status quo on the eviction orders of the Tahsildar, who had issued notices to the encroachers of Sarakki Lake including the Lakeview Apartment.
However, despite the court order when the authorities began the demolition drive, counsel for the Lakeview Apartment Lakshmi Iyengar moved a contempt petition in the High Court in the afternoon.
She submitted that the compound wall and the transformer of the apartment has been demolished and the officials were now targetting load bearing pillars and have arrested two persons for objecting to it.
The bench comprising Justice S K Mukerjee and Justice B V Nagarathna expressed its surprise and said: "Despite the order being passed, there is a demolition. Don't the officials care for law? Who is heading the demolition, when the chief secretary and the tahsildar were in the court? How will the people trust the law?”
When the counsel submitted that the officials are just not bothered about this order, the bench said: "We ordered a status quo. Will you first demolish and then maintain status quo?” Stating that what the officials have done is not right, the bench then directed the tahsildhar to appear before the court.
Earlier in the morning, Chief Secretary Koushik Mukherjee and law secretary appeared before the court and submitted that there is no violation on part of the government in clearing the encroachment and said each encroacher was served with notice before the drive.