NOC for Delhi match challenged

The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a writ petition filed by Amir Singh, president of the Society for Safe Structures, challenging the issuance of no-objection certificates to the Delhi and District Cricket Association by various agencies despite the fact that the Ferozshah Kotla ground is still under construction.

The Kotla is the venue for the sixth and final One-Day International between India and Pakistan on April 17. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf are due to attend the match.

The petition came up before Chief Justice R C Lahoti and Justice G P Mathur, who ordered that a relevant bench of the apex court would hear the petition on Monday, April 11.

The petitioners have asked for "grant of ad-interim injunction and ex-parte pro bono publico stay or issue of appropriate writ orders quashing the occupancy certificate and permission granted by the municipal corporation of Delhi (respondent no 5) to the owner to occupy the disputed building of the stadium at Ferozshah Kotla for any purpose, including the one-day international cricket match between India and Pakistan scheduled to be played on April 17th, till further order of the court".

Anil Aggarwal, who argued the petition on behalf of the society, alleged that the lives of thousands of people who would assemble to watch the match are in danger because of premature issuance of occupancy certificate by the civic agencies under pressure from the office of the Prime Minister of India and Chief Minister of Delhi.