The Delhi High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Harishankar on Wednesday (January 17) okayed the Agha Khan Foundation’s offer to develop the Amir Khusro Park as a Green Park. The foundation had made such a proposal before the court.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Savyasachi Sahai regarding the removal of unauthorized constructions and illegal encroachment in and around the park based in the Nizamuddin area.

During the hearing the court also asked the Delhi WAQF Board about the condition of the graveyards in the park and whether the Board was aware that the graveyards were being taken up by private entities. It also came up that the Board was interrupting the work of the Agha Khan Foundation, which has taken up policies for developing the parks around Delhi.

To this the WAQF Board counsel replied that it was testing new policies to maintain the graveyards.

At the last hearing (on September 21, 2017) the court had ordered the Delhi Police, the Delhi Traffic Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South District, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to file an action taken report before the next hearing of the case. The court had also ordered the DCP South District to reduce traffic outside the blind school in Nizamuddin area.

The matter has been adjourned to March 6.

 —India Legal Bureau