NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee for sealing in the national Capital on Wednesday clarified that if any individual from any political or social background breaks the sealing which has already been done, it would amount to contempt of court.
"If any individual or politician has any problem with the sealing, then they can reach the authorities and file their complaint. All the sealings have been done after proper survey and study in consultation with all the authorities," said a member of the monitoring committee.
The committee, which works under the guidance of the apex court, has followed the standard procedure before sealing these places, with a team of experts – appointed by the court – forming is members.
As per procedure, the monitoring committee first makes a list of places and establishments which are illegal, and then decide on the sealing.
Before any sealing is done as per directions of the apex court, the committee informs the civic bodies as well as the police. The committee also decides a time when the sealing happen.
"There cannot be illegal sealing because after going through every detail, we decide the sealing and also we do not follow any direction by any government or any civic body. We only follow the order and directions of the Supreme Court," said the member.
"However, in a democracy, any political party or individual, or even the stakeholders of the business property which we have sealed, can file a complaint. The civic bodies and we will go through the complaint and revert.
"Here, the case was not of any complaint but breaking the law. Whoever breaks the law is a criminal under the law," he added, referring to the incident on Sunday where Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari broke the lock of a sealed building.
Tiwari has been issued a contempt notice by the court and an FIR has been filed against him.
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have demanded an ordinance from the Centre to stop the sealing drive. However, no response has been given by the Centre yet.
On December 15 last year, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta had revived the powers of the monitoring committee and recalled its 2012 order staying the sealing drive in Delhi.
The current sealing drive in Delhi is not the first one.