SC upholds demolition of Pracheen Shiv Mandir on Yamuna floodplains in Delhi
Says Temple Built With Cement Can't Be Ancient
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday upheld an order for the demolition of a Pracheen Shiv Mandir situated at Geeta Colony close to the Yamuna floodplains.
A vacation bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Augustine George Masih refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court order.
"Where is the proof of Pracheen Temple to begin with? Ancient temples were built with rocks and not with cement and painted," the bench said.
The high court on May 29 said Lord Shiva does not need anyone's protection as it refused to make the deity a party to a petition relating to the removal of a temple constructed in an unauthorised way on the Yamuna riverbed.
Lord Shiva would be happier if the Yamuna riverbed and floodplains were cleared of all encroachments and unauthorised construction, the high court had said while refusing to set aside an order for demolition of the Pracheen Shiv Mandir situated at Geeta Colony close to the floodplains.
The petitioner, Pracheen Shiv Mandir Avam Akhada Samiti, had claimed that the temple acts as a hub of spiritual activities, drawing around 300 to 400 devotees regularly. In the plea, it was claimed the society was registered in 2018 to uphold transparency, accountability and responsible management of the temple's assets.
The high court had said the land in dispute is meant for larger public interest and the petitioner society cannot claim any vested rights to continue to occupy and use it. The court had said the land falls under the Zonal Development Plan for Zone-'O' as approved by the Ministry of Urban Development.
The high court had said the petitioner society has miserably failed to show any documents with regard to its title, right or interest over the land and there is no proof of the temple having any historical significance.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
