The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday refused to transfer proceedings concerning the PG building collapse in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area from the Delhi High Court (HC), ruling that there was no need to intervene as the matter was already progressing before the lower court.

However, the Apex court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit a report by September 15, detailing the action taken against unauthorised construction and the misuse of residential properties at specified locations across the national capital.

Delhi HC asked to keep close tab on the case

A bench of the SC was hearing a report submitted by senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in a pan-India case concerning unauthorised construction.

The bench clarified that it would not disturb the Delhi HC’s September 7 order directing the MCD to inspect all paying guest (PG) hostels similar to the one involved in the Satya Niketan collapse.

The civic body has been directed to determine whether such properties have the mandatory statutory permissions and comply with applicable building bye-laws. The SC remarked, “We do not disturb the position of the case before the high court but the high court of Delhi is requested to monitor the case at shorter intervals.”

The next hearing in the case is slated to be held on September 25.

Delhi Govt backs HC’s monitoring

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Delhi government, submitted that the Satya Niketan matter was essentially a ‘local issue’ and would be monitored in a better way by the Delhi HC.

Mehta assured the top court that both the MCD and the Delhi government were committed to complying with the directives issued by either court.

The Supreme Court had briefly heard the matter on September 8, when it ruled that the issues before it and the Delhi HC were ‘overlapping.’ The apex court had initially considered transferring the proceedings from the HC to itself.

A snap of the Satya Niketan building collapse

However, Sinha told the bench that the MCD’s crackdown had proved effective following the HC’s directions. He told the court that several properties where construction had been carried out beyond the fourth floor had already been razed down. Sinha also cited the SC’s March 25 directions to states and local authorities in major cities, including Delhi, to take action against unauthorised construction.