NEW DELHI: Taking a serious note of violation of the stay on organising marriages in farmhouses here, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner Ashok Kumar Nigam to be present in the Court in person to explain it.

Issuing a contempt of court notice to the Commissioner, a Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma asked the civic body chief to be present in the Court on January 13 along with a reply to the notice.

The Bench issued the notice on a complaint by Bhrashtachar Virodhi Sangathan, a non-government organisation and petitioner in the matter, that the local body was violating the stay on organising social functions, including marriages, in farmhouses by permitting people to hold such functions there.

In support of the allegation, counsel for the petitioner submitted a bunch of wedding cards sent to guests for marriage ceremonies already held or likely to be held as well as photographs of the venues.

Before summoning the Commissioner, the Bench perused the documents and saw the photographs.

However, the Bench gave a small concession to the local by allowing it to permit people to organise marriages in those farmhouses which have three acres of land and 60-foot-wide roads in fronts till the next date.

On the submission by counsel for MCD that of around 100 farmhouses in the Capital, only 47 fulfil the criteria, the Bench said that the ineligible farmhouses would not be allowed to hold such functions.

The Court directed the Station House Officers (SHO) concerned to take stern action and seize the belongings of the farmhouse owners if they were found flouting the stay order.

Further, the MCD Commissioner and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice-Chairman would be held accountable in case of violation of the Court order, the Bench said.

The Court has been hearing the petition by the voluntary organisation seeking a direction to the local body to frame fresh guidelines on commercial use of farmhouses, parks and banquet halls as the old guidelines had lapsed in March 2004, and since no fresh guidelines had been issued.

Meanwhile, the local body has submitted draft guidelines to the Court, which are still under examination.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail