New Delhi, June 11(HS): The Delhi High Court declined to hear Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan's PIL concerning the DDA's planned demolition in the Batla House area. Justices Girish Kathpalia and Tejas Karia stated that only individual residents could claim their properties were not included in the demolition site. Khan was allowed to withdraw the plea but must inform local residents of their right to approach the proper forum within three working days.

The Court noted that the petition, based on vague DDA notices, did not adequately serve public interest since individual residents had initiated separate writ proceedings and received interim protection from another judge. The judges expressed concerns about treating the PIL as a public interest matter, as it could harm individual residents' cases. The court aimed to ensure that no party faced injustice, emphasizing that the situation should be addressed by those directly affected.

Khan's counsel, Senior Advocate Salman Khurshid, requested to withdraw the petition, affirming that the affected residents would seek appropriate channels for their grievances within the set timeframe. Consequently, the Court dismissed the PIL as withdrawn, emphasizing the necessity for individual grievances to be addressed directly by affected residents rather than through a public interest litigation approach.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar