NEW DELHI: Authorities like the DDA are obligated to ensure that places of worship are not created on public land by unscrupulous persons through encroachment, the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice Prathiba M Singh expressed “grave concern” over encroachment of public land “under the shelter of a place of worship”, saying it has been seen in a large number of cases ...government land under the garb of temples or other places of worship.
“Such attempts by unscrupulous parties ought to be discouraged, inasmuch as the occupants, under the garb of a place of worship, turn the land into a completely unplanned encroachment by hundreds of people. The authorities have an obligation to ensure that in public land, places of worship are not created in this manner.”
‘No relief for plaintiff’
Justice Prathiba M Singh held that the land in question was public land and the plaintiff was not entitled to any relief.
The DDA claimed that the entire land belonged to government.