Bombay High Court orders demolition of Adarsh Society

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society to be demolished. The court has, however, stayed the demolition for 12 weeks, giving time to the Maharashtra government to appeal in the Supreme Court.

The court has also ordered inquiry against the politicians and bureaucrats involved in the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

The 31-storeyed society was originally meant to be a six-floor building for housing war widows.  The building is currently unoccupied, without electricity and water supply.

The Union Environment Ministry had ordered the demolition of the housing society in January 2011, citing violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification of 1991. Adarsh housing society filed an appeal against this order in the high court of Mumbai. In January 2013, the company filed an appeal to the high court, requesting transfer of the still pending case to NGT, citing the August 2012 order of the Supreme Court. In July 2013, the high court rejected the appeal, following which the company approached the apex court, challenging the high court order against transfer of the case to NGT. The apex court had upheld the high court order.