The Bombay High Court has mandated the removal of unauthorized constructions in the vicinity of a laboratory operated by the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO), asserting that it will not compromise the interests of the Union government for those of private developers.

The court was hearing a series of petitions contesting notices issued by authorities to demolish structures constructed within a 500-yard radius of the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory in Pune.

Recently, a division bench comprising Justices Gautam Patel and Kamal Khata observed that any individual who obtains a court order by withholding information is not entitled to any relief, and such a petition is subject to dismissal.

"We make it clear that under no circumstances will we compromise the interests of the Union of India and the Ministry of Defense for the interests of private builders," it held.

The bench had initially granted an interim stay on the notices on February 8. However, the authorities subsequently informed the court that the petitioners had obtained the stay order without providing proper details. The bench rescinded its previous order that stayed the enforcement of the demolition notice and dismissed the petitions. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each petitioner. The court further imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each petitioner, with the stipulation that the amount must be contributed towards a charitable cause as directed by the Pune Municipal Corporation commissioner.

According to the authorities, the structures were initially demolished in November 2023, but they were subsequently reconstructed, prompting the issuance of new notices. The court observed that the defence authorities had lodged complaints regarding these unlawful constructions as early as 2021. The bench ordered that the illegal structures be demolished immediately.