Pulling up the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh for showing undue haste in demolishing a temporary fence at Sahara Saher, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Sahara Group to rebuild the structure.
"We are not happy with the way things have progressed," a bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir said and pointed to the inconsistencies in the submissions by the state on erection and demolition of the temporary 750 meter tin fencing.
Immediately thereafter, the state government shunted out officials involved in the demolition issue. Lucknow Development Authority Vice Chairman Ram Bahadur, under whose supervision a fence was razed at the Sahara site on June 23, and Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Harminder Raj were replaced.
The Court expressed dissatisfaction with LDA's contention that the temporary structure was brought down as it was erected after the apex court's June 23 order directing the contesting parties to maintain status quo in the matter. "Even if the tin fence was erected after the status quo order, the state should have come to us with a complaint...," the Bench, also comprising Justice G M Singhvi, observed and directed that the status quo prevailing on June 23 should be maintained.
It said that the temporary tin shed fencing at the disputed site would be restored on June 28 and 29 under the supervision of senior apex court advocate L Nageshwar Rao, who was appointed as special officer by the Bench after the consent of both the warring parties. The Bench said the special officer will submit his report to the Registrar of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
