The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sent notice to Punjab and the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. The court will hear the matter on October 15. The case involves illegal constructions near the Golden Temple corridor.
PIL petitioner Jagdish Singh, represented by advocate Vivek Salathia, said a sealed building near Bagh Ramanand was being turned into a hotel. He alleged that civic seals were removed and construction continued under the eyes of officials.
A Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry heard the case. They questioned the plea’s maintainability since the Supreme Court had already stayed a related High Court order. Still, they sought replies from Punjab and the municipal body. The judges stressed that all construction must follow municipal laws.
In 2019, the High Court had stopped unauthorized hotels and ordered water and power cuts for them. But the Supreme Court later stayed that order.
The court again expressed concern over illegal activity near the shrine. It warned that laws cannot be bypassed with fresh acts or amendments.
