SC to hear plea of Gandhian organisation against proposed demolition of its building in Varanasi
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 10 a plea challenging the decision of the Varanasi district magistrate to order demolition of a building of the Sarva Sewa Sangh, a society which works to propagate Gandhian values.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan and observed that he can intimate the district magistrate about the apex court agreeing to hear the plea on Monday and there shall be no demolition of the structure in the meantime.
The Sarva Sewa Sangh was established in 1948 by Acharya Vinoba Bhave to propagate the ideas and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and now the building is sought to be demolished by the local administration, Bhushan said while seeking urgent hearing and an interim order to stop the proposed demolition of the structure.
"We will list it for hearing on Monday (July 10)," the CJI said.
Earlier, the organisation had moved the Allahabad High Court challenging a notice for demolition issued by the Northern Railways to demolish structures built on a 12.90-acre plot in Varanasi district.
The organisation said the land for its premises at Pargana Dehat' in Varanasi was purchased by it from the central government through "three registered sale deeds in 1960, 1961 and 1970".
The district magistrate, who was empowered by the high court to take a decision on the dispute between the organisation and the Northern Railways, issued a notice with regard to the demolition of the structure.
The district magistrate had on June 26 said the land belonged to Railways as per revenue records.
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Explosion near CRPF School in Delhi caused by lit cigarette butts: Report
New Delhi: The investigation team that probed the explosion that took place outside the CRPF School in the Prashant Vihar area of the city on October 20 morning has reportedly not found any terror force behind the blast.
The investigation team, consisting of Delhi Police and staff members from central agencies, has stated in its report that cigarette butts thrown by a local resident might have come in contact with industrial waste and have caused the explosion. Circumstantial evidence does not show the incident to have a terror angle to it, reports The Indian Express.
The Delhi Police, the city bomb squad and the fire brigade had rushed to the spot following the explosion, which was initially believed to have been caused by a crude bomb. The forensic experts who inspected the spot hinted at the presence of potassium chlorate, hydrogen peroxide and some electrical wires there. The school wall had been damaged and the windows of a car nearby had shattered in the explosion.
The investigation team scanned the CCTV camera footage and zeroed in on around 10 people questioned. A senior police officer said that a North Delhi-based businessman from Prashant Vihar was found to be present at the spot around five minutes before the explosion, as he had come there on Sunday morning to walk his dog. The CCTV footage showed him smoking and, after questioning him, the team concluded that he had left lit cigarette butts before leaving the spot, the officer added.
The spot where the explosion took place is learned to have been usually used for dumping garbage and also has a public urinal.
An officer has said that the Delhi Police had consulted forensic and technical experts of the National Security Guard regarding the things found on the explosion site but are yet to get the report. The officer added that they have found no detonator so far.
