Panaji: The Bombay High Court has set aside an order passed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to demolish a bungalow, allegedly built by a Mumbai-based BJP politician, in the UNESCO heritage zone in Old Goa city of Goa. The ASI had claimed discrepancies in the sale deeds.
In the order passed on Tuesday, the Goa bench of the HC said the ASI did not follow due procedure while ordering demolition on Aug 16, 2022.
Protests from political parties and organisations
The bungalow, which stands close to St Cajetan Church, drew protests from various organisations and political parties who claimed that the construction violated several rules.
The ASI’s order was challenged in the HC by the Mumbai-based firm which had developed the property, Corvus Urban Infrastructure LLP.
A division bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Bharat P Deshpande noted that the ASI order nowhere disclosed if any show-cause notice had been issued to Corvus Urban Infrastructure before the demolition order was passed.
“There was no information either about such a notice being sent to previous owner, Suvarna Suraj Lotlikar,” the HC said, adding that by not giving any hearing, the ASI violated the principles of natural justice.
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