In Brief
In this landmark environmental and urban governance judgment, the Supreme Court examined the scope of the Monitoring Committee's authority appointed in 1985 to oversee environmental protection and prevent commercial misuse of residential property in Delhi. The Court held that the Committee's jurisdiction is strictly limited to checking commercial misuse of residential premises and removing encroachments on public land. The Committee has no power to seal purely residential premises on private land merely because they contain unauthorized construction if used only for residential purposes. The judgment quashes Report No.149 and all related sealing orders, mandating immediate de-sealing and restoration of possession to owners, reaffirming that statutory procedures under the DMC Act must be followed to protect property rights guaranteed by Article 300-A.
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