5 Sep 2025: Delhi, – The Supreme Court has pulled up the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for not cleaning the area around a 700-year-old monument in Defence Colony. The court ordered MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to take action against officers who failed to follow court orders.
The court was angry because MCD did not clean the Gumti of Shaikh Ali monument properly. This historic building is from the Lodi era and is 700 years old. The court had earlier told MCD to clean the area daily and maintain it well.
Court Finds MCD Failed to Follow Orders
Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and SVN Bhatti told the MCD commissioner that there seems to be an ego problem between MCD and the Delhi government’s archaeology department. The archaeology department is working to restore this old monument.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan visited the site on Wednesday as a court commissioner. He found that MCD had not followed the court’s orders from July 31 and August 28. The area was still dirty with garbage and construction debris.
The court showed the MCD commissioner photos of the dirty site. The judges said MCD would clean the area in two hours if an important person was visiting. But they are not showing the same respect to court orders.
MCD Commissioner Takes Responsibility
The MCD commissioner admitted there was a communication gap. He said he takes responsibility and promised the problems will be fixed. The court gave MCD one last chance to clean up the area.
“If you issue them a memo, mark my words that by evening, everything will be cleared,” the bench remarked in bold and italic.
The court has asked MCD to submit two reports by September 18. First, they must name the officers responsible for not following orders and what action was taken. Second, they must give a time-bound plan to fix all problems.
Monument Now Protected
The Delhi government declared the Gumti a protected monument in July under the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments Act, 2004. Earlier, local residents were using it as their office without permission. The court helped clear these unauthorized occupants.
The case started when Rajeev Suri, a Defence Colony resident, filed a petition in 2018. He wanted the Gumti declared a protected monument because it is an important part of Delhi’s history.
MCD must now appoint a senior officer to monitor the site daily and share details with the court. The commissioner has time until Wednesday to comply with all court orders.
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Updated 5 Sep 2025, 03:47 IST; source: link
