Vehicles may be checked; authorities may restrict access to stretch beyond last restaurant; outlets to provide parking; midnight deadline.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted interim relief to the owners of restaurants located on the Chandni Chowk-National Defence Academy (NDA) Road. It has directed the NDA to withdraw the controversial barricades at the entry point of Chandni Chowk-NDA Road so that customers can access the restaurants located on that road.
However, the court maintained that the NDA can put up barricades restricting entry to visitors for security reasons on the same stretch of road after the location of the last restaurant.
The interim relief follows a public interest litigation seeking relief, filed by the affected restaurant owners and a few residents against the NDA and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), in the high court on Monday. A division bench comprising chief justice of the high court, Mohit Shah and justice Roshan Dalvi on Tuesday had asked the NDA and the PMC to submit their say.
In its September 24 edition, DNA had reported how a controversy had erupted over the sudden blocking of the road by the NDA. This road is home to three prominent restaurants and several civilian residences. The NDA had blocked the road from September 22, putting up barricades at the entry point of the five-km long road, citing security reasons. It had deployed security guards preventing access to restaurant customers, morning walkers and joggers.
Speaking to DNA, the petitioners’ lawyer, Sandeep Salunkhe, said the high court has granted interim relief to the petitioners. “The high court has also allowed the NDA to check vehicles on security grounds,” he added. The high court has ordered the restaurant owner to provide parking space for their visitors and ensure that vehicles are not parked on the road for security reasons.
Moreover, no visitor can enter the road after midnight, the judges have ordered.
Advocate Girish Kulkarni pleaded the case on behalf of the NDA and submitted intelligence reports to the court regarding the security of the NDA. He also brought to the notice of the court that the restaurants had done some illegal constructions.
The NDA authorities said they would react after getting a copy of the court order.
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