The Delhi High Court Tuesday pulled up the Deputy Speaker of the state assembly, Amrish Gautam for unauthorised construction on his property here.
Gautam had approached the court pleading that a Lokayukta order for a probe into the illegal construction in Khichripur in east Delhi be set aside.
Justice Hima Kohli said: “If you yourself admit that there is some unauthorised construction then why don’t you demolish the illegal part or else get clearance from the civic agency.”
After Gautam’s counsel failed to give any undertaking the court asked him to file his response by July 22.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Gautam seeking direction for setting aside a May 30 Lokayukta order which had rejected his plea seeking immunity against inquiry into the alleged unauthorised construction.
Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin’s order came after Gautam maintained that the anti-corruption watchdog does not have the jurisdiction to probe allegations made by a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillor Preeti Behn.
She had approached the Lokayukta to initiate the probe against Gautam for carrying out unauthorised construction of 109 square metres on his property.
Sarin said that according to the “constitutional scheme”, the deputy speaker does not enjoy any immunity and the allegations of breach of norms are related to a period when he was only a legislator.
The order said a notice was sent to Gautam last December after receiving an MCD report that there was unauthorised construction on the property which Gautam had purchased in 1989.
