Delhi HC slaps Rs 25,000 fine on DDA for filing frivolous appeal

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has rapped the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) saying the civic body thinks that they are “law unto themselves” and slapped a cost of Rs 25,000 for filing a frivolous appeal.

The high court said it was high time that strict action is taken against certain officers of public bodies like DDA, which are harassing common citizens. The DDA has filed a second execution appeal against the high court’s January 2015 order in which DDA was directed to enforce the judgement and decree of the July 2012 order.

The high court said that DDA, which controls and owns huge tracts of land in Delhi, is sometimes infamous for its dealings with common citizens.

“This second appeal, filed in execution proceedings, is a classic reminder that certain officers in bodies like DDA have almost made it their purpose to harass common citizens of this country and may be even for certain unstated reasons,” the court said, adding that it was a completely frivolous appeal.

It directed that the DDA shall recover it from the “salary of that highest placed employee” who took the decision to object to the grant of possession of the plot to the decree holders without payment of the ground rent.

The court asked the DDA vice chairman to set up an enquiry committee of three of its senior most officers to find out the employees who were responsible for frivolously objecting to the grant of possession of the plot.

The DDA will initiate departmental enquiries against the officers found culpable and strict action will be taken against them in accordance with law, it said. It further added that the enquiry committee be set up within three weeks and a report be filed before the court in three months.