The apex court has struck down pleas by the Centre, the government of Delhi and the Delhi Municipal Corporation seeking relief for the traders of unauthorized business establishments in residential areas in New Delhi.

The court refused to provide any relief and has asked the authorities to resume the sealing drive against them. A bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal dismissed the applications for relief on Monday. The applications had sought relief on the ground of prevailing law and order situation in the aftermath of the three-day strike by the traders last week.

With this development, as many as 40,000 traders who had given affidavits to shift their businesses out of residential areas face the prospects of sealing by the Municipal Corporation as per the order of the SC on September 29.

Taking up the case, the SC Bench said that a monitoring committee would file weekly reports in sealed cover and on perusal of these reports and the court would decide if any directions were to be given. Making strong comments on the way the government has seen the issue, the court also observed that the government is not powerless to control the situation and none can be permitted to put a dagger on the neck of the authorities. It reminded that nobody can be permitted to hold the city and the law abiding citizens to ransom and then seek relief.

Pointing out that it was the obligation of the government to ensure compliance of the order and the direction of the SC order, the Bench said that the government needed to ensure that there is no breach of law and order situation. It also said that neither its September 29 nor February 16 orders be dealt with any demolition.

Meanwhile, the traders who had anxiously awaited the result of the SC hearing, Delhi police took positions to ensure no untoward incident happened. Rapid Action Force personnel and security men were deployed in all the sensitive areas.

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