SC slaps Rs 1 cr cost on DDCA for non-compliance of order

The Supreme Court on Monday imposed a cost of Rs one crore on cricket body DDCA for non-compliance of Delhi High Court order on a disputed structure at Ferozshah Kotla stadium but refrained from passing any order to pull it down observing that it will be a “national wastage” to do so.

“People are playing cricket in the stadium. If the said disputed structure of the stadium is brought down, it will serve no one’s purpose. It will be a national wastage,” a bench headed by Justice J S Khehar observed about the R P Mehra block at the stadium.

“You (DDCA) have not complied with directions of High Court issued in 2013. Now you have complied partially in 2016.

You pay Rs 1 crore as cost for non-compliance of the orders and then we will see what needs to be done with your petition,” the bench also comprising Justice C Nagappan said.

The bench, also made it clear that the amount will be utilised for development and improving facilities at the stadium. During the brief hearing, the court also pulled up an intervenor who had sought that a media box constructed at the stadium was not approved as per the sanctioned plan.

“If the building is brought down, will you get a medal? Why do you want the structure to be brought down? What will a citizen benefit when the structure is brought down? It will serve no one’s purpose,” the bench told the counsel for intervenor N C Bakshi on whose petition the Delhi High Court has earlier ordered a status quo.

Senior advocate L Nageshwar Rao said MCD has declared that all the structures were safe at the stadium and the media box, if brought down, will not serve any purpose to anybody.

Rao, appearing for DDCA, said the apex court should hear the plea of the cricket body and decide the issue.

The bench, which was earlier not inclined to hear the plea, said the DDCA’s appeal against the High Court order calls for “no interference”, as it had not complied with the direction issued in 2013.

The bench initially said that DDCA should be imposed a cost of Rs 3 crore (annually) for not complying with the directions of the High Court for three years but later imposed a cost of Rs 1 crore on the cricket body and posted the matter for further hearing on April 8. 

On March 28, the apex court had asked Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) to furnish the receipts of payments made to the civic body SDMC to obtain no-objection certificate (NOC) for holding cricket matches in the stadium.