Encroachment case: HC slams former GCC commissioner

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the former commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for not appearing before the court in a contempt case for not removing encroachments from a road in Perambur, Chennai.

When the first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala had taken up a contempt case, they expressed their dissatisfaction since the former GCC commissioner Vikram Kapoor did not appear before the bench. Earlier, the bench directed the officer to appear before the court on Tuesday.

The Additional Advocate General (AAG) informed the court that the former zonal officer was present and the former commissioner was not in a position to appear before the court.

However, the judges noted that the officers are thinking that they are above the court. Unhappy with the absence of the officer, the CJ directed the AAG to make the former GCC commissioner and current commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi appear before the court at 2.15pm on Tuesday else he would pass a warrant against the officer.

As directed by the bench, both the officers made their physical appearance before the court. The judges directed the authorities to submit the civil nature of the road on which the encroachments had bloomed.

According to the contempt petitioner named JM Ahmed Sirajudeen, the roads in Hyder Main street and Chandrayogi Samathi street were 40 feet wide and the same was shortened to twenty feet due to the encroachments.

In 2007, the court ordered to remove those encroachments but the same was not implemented, the contempt petitioner submitted.