The CBI has sought details of 42 buildings with alleged unauthorised construction in Kolkata’s Narkeldanga and Amherst Street police station areas, acting on directions from the Calcutta High Court to investigate illegal structures in the Rajabazar, Maniktala, Canal Street and Beleghata belt.
A team of CBI officers visited Amherst Street and Narkeldanga police stations on Sunday and submitted letters seeking information on specific buildings under their jurisdiction, according to a report by The Telegraph India. The agency has asked the police whether legal cases or court orders are pending in relation to the structures.
“We have sought details on some specific buildings and asked the police if any legal cases and court orders are pending related to these buildings,” an officer of the CBI’s Calcutta unit was quoted as saying.
The inquiry follows an order passed earlier this month by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court headed by Chief Justice R.V. Ghuge. The court directed the CBI to investigate alleged illegal high-rise construction between Rajabazar and Canal Street and submit a preliminary report by October 14.
The court’s intervention followed a public interest litigation concerning unauthorised construction in parts of central and eastern Kolkata. During the hearing, the Chief Justice expressed concern over the increase in illegal construction in the city and said black money was being siphoned off through the construction of such buildings, according to the report.
Following the court’s directions, CBI officers have been inspecting and raiding buildings along the affected stretch. The investigation concerns allegations that more than 50 houses were illegally constructed in parts of Beleghata, Maniktala and Rajabazar, as well as along Canal East Road.
The 42 buildings now under examination had earlier been identified by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation as having unauthorised construction. The civic body was directed by the court to prepare a clear roadmap for demolishing the structures, including specific dates for the proposed action.
The police information sought by the CBI is expected to establish whether cases or court proceedings are already pending against the buildings. It also places police records within a wider inquiry involving municipal identification of unauthorised structures and the court-supervised response to them.
The court later instructed the CBI to investigate the alleged unauthorised constructions. The agency’s preliminary report is due on October 14, while the KMC’s demolition roadmap remains part of the court-directed process.
