The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by some owners of Maradu flats in Kochi seeking direction to the Attorney General to grant permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against concerned authorities for allegedly misleading the court in the matter.
The apex court had on September 30 refused to entertain a plea of flat owners seeking a stay on its order to demolish four apartment complexes in Maradu which were built in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms.
On September 27, the top court had directed demolition of these flats within 138 days, a timeline given by the Kerala government, and had asked the state to pay Rs 25 lakh interim compensation to each flat owner within four weeks.
The fresh plea, filed by some flat owners, came up for hearing before a bench comprising justices Arun Mishra and Sanjiv Khanna.
"Several times we have decided this. You are making a mockery it," the bench told the counsel appearing for the petitioners.
When the lawyer said he would withdraw the plea, the bench said: "Dismissed. No withdrawal".
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The plea sought direction to the Attorney General, the top law officer of the country, to grant permission for initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against authorities including members of a court-appointed committee which was set up for proper ascertainment of facts pertaining to construction of flats there for allegedly misleading the court in the matter.
On November 22, the top court had agreed to hear in open court the review pleas of some Maradu flat owners seeking appropriate relief from the builders.
The counsel appearing for Kerala government had submitted a status report and said the state had partially complied with the earlier apex court order of demolition of the Maradu flats.
In compliance of the top court's earlier order, the state government has paid Rs 27.99 crore as interim compensation to the Maradu flat owners and it will be paying Rs 33.51 crore more to them, the state's counsel had said.
The top court had then asked the state government to ensure full compliance with its orders, including demolition of the Maradu flats.
On May 8, the apex court had directed that these buildings be removed within a month as they were constructed in a notified CRZ, which was part of the tidally-influenced water body in Kerala.
It had passed the order after taking note of a report of a committee, which had stated that when the buildings were built, the area was already notified as a CRZ and construction was prohibited.