LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court, on Wednesday, directed the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and the Uttar Pradesh government to file their reply to the plea filed by Sahara India Corporation Limited, challenging the municipal Corporation's orders sealing Sahara Shahar.
The court sought the replies by October 30.
It also directed the state authorities to rehabilitate the livestock, if any were left inside the Sahara Shahar, at Kanha Upvan for proper care.
Sahara Shahar, a 170-acre township in Lucknow's posh Gomtinagar, was sealed by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation due to alleged violations of lease and licence agreements, a point contested by the Sahara group, which recently moved the court against the sealing order.
A division bench, comprising Justice Sangeeta Chandra and Justice Amitabh Rai, passed the order on the writ petition filed by Sahara India Corporation Limited.
After hearing the matter at length, the bench said that the matter required consideration and so directed the parties to exchange the pleadings in the matter.
Sahara India Corporation had strongly opposed the stand of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation for taking possession of Sahara Shahar property while sealing its six gates recently.
The Sahara petition stated that Municipal authorities did not prepare any inventory of the properties and other valuable items inside the Sahara Shahar during sealing of the gates and taking possession of the property.
It was also submitted that entire action was taken in a hurry without giving a proper opportunity of hearing and issuing notice to the Sahara people for vacating the premises.
Opposing the plea, Lucknow Nagar Nigam said that the terms and conditions of the lease deed granted in 1994 were violated, and hence notices were issued in 2020 and in 2025, adding that the premises were sealed after giving a proper opportunity of hearing.
