Kolkata illegal construction in more than 50 high-rise buildings between Rajabazar and Canal Street will be examined by the Central Bureau of Investigation after the Calcutta High Court directed the agency to identify the buildings, investigate those involved and submit a preliminary report by October 14.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice R.V. Ghuge issued the direction while hearing a public interest litigation on illegal constructions in the city. The bench expressed concern over alleged unauthorised construction in areas including Rajabazar, Maniktala, Beleghata and Canal Street, all within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area.
“Construction of illegal buildings in the Rajabazar, Maniktala, Beleghata and Canal Street areas is a matter of grave concern,” the bench said, according to the report. It questioned how the buildings had come up within the civic limits and why the authorities had not acted despite repeated complaints.
The court directed the CBI to identify the allegedly illegal buildings at the earliest and examine the role of those who helped facilitate their construction. The bench said the investigation would also have to determine whether illegal activity had been used to bring black money back into circulation or make it legitimate.
The court specifically sought scrutiny of the role of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It asked whether the civic authorities had taken action after receiving complaints and why steps had not been taken earlier. The CBI will therefore be required to examine not only the buildings themselves but also the administrative chain responsible for approvals, enforcement and responses to complaints.
More than 50 high-rise buildings between Rajabazar and Canning Street are under the court’s scanner, sources cited in the report said. The area is characterised by high-rises standing close to slum settlements, creating a dense and mixed urban environment where questions about building permissions, access, emergency response and enforcement carry direct implications for residents.
The proceedings also revive an earlier court-directed process. A division bench headed by former Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam had ordered the formation of a task force to identify illegal buildings. In May 2024, the Calcutta High Court directed the police to assist the KMC in forming a task force to identify and demolish such structures in the city.
The present bench has sought details of the steps taken to implement those earlier directions. The question before the court is therefore not limited to whether unauthorised buildings exist, but also whether previous identification and enforcement mechanisms produced results.
The counsel for the PIL petitioners told the bench that the petitioners had written to the CBI about the alleged illegal constructions. The CBI’s counsel said the previous government had not been willing to permit an agency probe.
The court will decide its further course after receiving the CBI’s preliminary report in the form of an affidavit on October 14. That report is expected to establish which buildings are under examination and what role, if any, was played by individuals or civic officials in their construction.
