High Court's Missing File Sparks Legal Showdown Over Illegal Building Demolition

The Allahabad High Court reprimanded its registry officials for not producing a crucial case file regarding an allegedly illegal building demolition. Despite repeated directions, the file remains missing, affecting ongoing proceedings of a PIL. The court issued notices to key registry officers for apparent non-cooperation.

The Allahabad High Court has raised concerns over its registry officials' failure to present a key case file tied to the demolition of a purportedly illegal structure in Khurram Nagar.

This action came during a hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the 2016 order for demolition, which has seen notable delays in execution. A Lucknow bench, featuring Justices Rajan Roy and Rajeev Bharti, issued show-cause notices to registry officers for stalling proceedings by withholding the file.

The court sought explanations from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and received partial compliance via video conference from LDA vice-chairman Prathmesh Kumar. As the file remains unproduced, a further inquiry has been ordered, with a required report by November 10.

(With inputs from agencies.)