LEKHA ALI SHAIKH Vs. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Rule. Rule returnable forthwith. With the consent of the parties, the matter is taken up for a final hearing.

(2.) This Petition illustrates one amongst numerous instances of unauthorised constructions on private land, notably erected by the owners themselves without any prior application or approval of the Concerned Authority. It also illustrates how the owner, in this case, initially innocently constructed a small structure and, after a couple of years, in the guise of repairs, reconstructed a significantly larger structure and sought to regularise it.

(3.) Slumlords frequently employ this strategy to create illegal settlements systematically. The old proverb, 'A drop of poison can contaminate the whole well,' is increasingly becoming a stark reality. A law-abiding citizen wonders: if a lawbreaker like a 'slumlord' can construct illegal structures on public and private land without facing the consequences, why shouldn't a private landowner build without permission or approvals? This idea promotes a culture of lawlessness and corruption, undermining the very foundation of lawful governance.