Comply with order or appear in person, Housing Secretary told

The matter relates to a PIL filed by an advocate in connection with the glaring violations in the construction at door no: 56, 56 A in Thirumalai Pillai Street, T. Nagar, Chennai.

He further submitted that following inaction on his plea, he had moved the court through a PIL, and when it came up for hearing on June 23, 2016, the bench was informed that an appeal was filed by the building owner, which was directed to be disposed of within a month from that date. The order to dispose of the appeal was also communicated to the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department. But despite the lapse of two and half months, the appeal was not disposed of by the said authority which led the advocate to file the contempt petition after issuing notice to the Official.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan, while passing interim orders on the contempt plea, said “If the order dated 23.06.2016 requiring the appeal filed by the building owner to be disposed of within one month from the date of receipt of the order has not been complied with, the contemnor shall remain personally present in Court on the next date of hearing that is on 24.10.2016.”