New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 8) rebuked the Delhi government’s archaeology department for the delay in the declaration of the Gumti of Shaikh Ali – a Lodhi-era structure – as a protected monument.

Three months back, the court had ordered the residents’ welfare association (RWA) of Defence Colony to evacuate the structure it had been illegally occupying for six decades.

“Unnecessarily, you are delaying the process of declaring the structure as a protected monument,” said a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, reported Hindustan Times.

The Supreme Court had on January 31 directed the RWA to vacate the premises and directed the land and development office (L&DO) to take charge of the land.

The court had ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to clear encroachments. It also asked the archaeology department to start its restoration and declare it a protected monument.

“Do you want that a card should be published inviting you to the site?” said Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, when the Delhi government told the court that it is still in the process of getting official “ingress” to the premises.

“The archaeology department has stated that before the next date of hearing, in all likelihood, the notification declaring it as a protected monument, will be notified,” said the court, listing the matter for May 14.

Earlier, the court had also imposed a fine of Rs. 40 lakh on the RWA for illegally occupying premises of the historical structure and using it as its office.

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