The Supreme Court on Monday decided to vacate from December 31 all orders of the high court and MCD tribunal staying the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Chandni Chowk area.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said any aggrieved entity could move the top court.

"All the stay orders granted by the appellate tribunal municipal corporation of Delhi and Delhi High Court will be vacated. They will become ineffective with effect from December 31, 2025," the bench said.

The top court asked the MCD authorities to act on its orders for demolition and removal of unauthorised constructions and clarified in case of any grievance with regard to order vacating the stay could approach it before December 31.

The Delhi police commissioner was accordingly directed to provide logistical support to the municipal corporation for the removal of unauthorised constructions.

After being informed that the post of presiding officer of the appellate tribunal was vacant for quite some time, the bench asked the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya to look into it.

The top court's order came after it was informed by the MCD counsel that a large number of stay orders were passed by the tribunal and the high court.

The matter was posted after two weeks.

The bench clarified it was only considering the aspect of unauthorised change of users or conversion of residential properties into non-residential purposes in Chandni Chowk area.

On July 18, the top court rebuked unauthorised constructions in Chandi Chowk area despite a court-ordered ban and asked Delhi Police to arrest those "putting even a brick".

On May 23, the top court directed the police commissioner to deploy a team in areas of Chandni Chowk to act against persons carrying out illegal construction despite its ban.

The order was passed after the court was informed that despite the top court order staying the construction of commercial complexes and demolition of residential buildings in Fatehpuri area of Chandni Chowk, the unauthorised construction was being carried out.

The top court was hearing a plea of a petitioner-in-person who claimed ongoing illegal construction in the area in collusion with the civic authorities.

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