The Supreme Court on Monday consented to the appointment of a committee chaired by retired Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, to conduct an enquiry to identify who is “responsible” for clearing the Maradu high-rise residential apartments, which were razed to the ground on the court’s orders for violating stringent coastal regulation zone norms.
The committee will also determine the quantum of liability among those responsible.
A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao passed the order as a follow-up to an earlier apex court direction on September 27, 2019 to form such a committee to zero in on the people behind the violation. On May 8, 2019, the Supreme Court had concluded that the high-rises overlooking the backwaters was an “unscrupulous trespass” which would have a “devastating effect” on the fragile eco-zone of the area.
