In a recent development, former Congress MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal has been served a notice to appear before the Commissioner’s court on March 23, Saturday, regarding an ongoing case concerning illegal construction. The summons comes as a continuation of a legal saga dating back to 2014, when concerns were raised about construction activities near Tara Devi in Shimla.
The matter, initially sparked by a complaint filed in 2015, alleges that Lakhanpal, along with his wife Usha, who was serving as a councilor in the Shimla Municipal Corporation at the time, undertook construction work without proper authorization. It is claimed that the couple exploited permissions granted for repair work to facilitate extensive unauthorized construction adjacent to their three-storey residence.
Despite proceedings commencing in the Commissioner’s Court following the complaint, the case had languished in obscurity for nine years until resurfacing recently. Municipal Corporation authorities assert that the matter had even been deliberated upon as recently as last December, indicating ongoing efforts to address the issue.
Mehboob Shaikh, an architect representing the Municipal Corporation, affirmed that Saturday’s hearing will proceed as scheduled. Lakhanpal has been directed to attend the proceedings, with the Corporation warning of potential unilateral actions in the event of non-compliance.