The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted interim protection to the owner of an upmarket rooftop restaurant here, halting further demolition activities initiated by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
The demolition followed a devastating fire at a city hotel that claimed 14 lives.
The petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that demolition work was carried out at the Park Street restaurant on May 2 and 3, days after the hotel fire in central Kolkata on April 29.
Justice Gaurang Kanth directed the KMC to cease further demolition of the rooftop establishment until Thursday, when the petition challenging the demolition will be heard again.
The court asked the KMC to present the legal provision under which the demolition was initiated during the next hearing date.
The petitioner’s lawyer said that while only a stop-work notice was issued to the owner, demolition was nevertheless undertaken.
The counsel further maintained that the restaurant holds valid fire and trade licenses and that an application for regularisation of the rooftop structure is currently pending with the KMC.
He requested an interim order to halt the demolition.
Following the fatal fire incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised strict action against violators of fire safety regulations.
During the hearing of the petition, Justice Kanth said the rooftop restaurant appears to be an illegal structure since the owner had asked for regularisation of the structure.
The court said it, however, agrees that the demolition could not be carried out on the basis of a stop-work notice as stated by the petitioner's lawyer.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.