The government, however, refused to share these images with the media, claiming that they could be used by terrorists
The Government on Friday submitted satellite images of Sainik Farms to the High Court to help it analyse whether any unauthorised construction took place in the premium location of South Delhi after 2007. The government, however, refused to share these images with the media, claiming that they could be used by terrorists.
The proceedings were part of an ongoing court case to assess whether any illegal construction was carried out at the farms since the prohibition in 2007. On November 11, the court had asked the Delhi government to expedite the process of getting high-resolution satellite maps of the colony to ascertain whether there was a violation of its order halting construction in the area.
As per the order, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government placed before the court, high-resolution satellite images of Sainik Farms for the years 2011, 2014 and 2015. At the same time, it expressed reservation in sharing these images with private parties and the media, saying these contained sensitive details regarding an army base there and could also help 'terrorists' to find places to hide. To this the Bench remarked that Google maps were accessible to all. For the years for which satellite images were not available, a report prepared by the Geo Spatial Delhi Ltd (GSDL) regarding new constructions in the area would be filed, the government told the Bench of Justices B D Ahmed and Jayant Nath.
The court had previously asked for the images as it did not 'trust' the corporation's affidavit on the extent of unauthorised construction in the colony and had said that the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) was "trying to cover up", and its report submitted to the court was 'an eyewash'.
The court had said that after comparing the maps with Google images for the same period, it would point out the changes and unauthorised constructions, and will give time to SDMC to 'come clean', and had warned that if no action was taken thereafter, "we will order a CBI probe".
The court on Friday said it needed to first peruse the images and the report, and listed the matter for hearing on November 23. It was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO, alleging illegal construction in the area.
Meanwhile, the colony's Resident Welfare Association (RWA) sought from the court that items such as furniture should be permitted inside Sainik Farms. They contended that these items had been denied entry on the basis of court order. The Bench, however, refused to pass any order regarding this.
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