Ujjain: Hotel President and Utsav Garden, near Harifatak over-bridge were vacated and demolished during the wee hours of Friday. An Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) squad accompanied by a huge police force, got into the act, at about 4 am, under the supervision of UMC commissioner Vijay Kumar J, after assembling in front of Hotel President.
ADM Narendra Suryavanshi, ASP Manish Khatri and staff of the electricity board also gathered at the spot, after which the ADM made an announcement to people staying at the hotel to vacate as it was going to be demolished. The owner Kalim Khan alias Guddu, was apparently expecting such an action as the Indore High Court had refused them a stay order. This precisely seemed to be the reason why he made his relatives stay in the hotel, as well as in a nearby the hotel and his house, so that they could oppose the proceedings. Officers however, were in no mood to back off.
On seeing the administrative officers, UMC squad and police force, Kalim Khan and his kin started protesting and opposing the officials. A number of women were also present, but the ADM granted them just five minutes to pack up and leave. They were sent off from the hotel in a bus.
By afternoon, hotel’s boundary wall, garden, porch and hall, were completely demolished. Dynamites were used in demolishing the main part of the hotel. In the evening, the owner himself requested the officials to allow him some time to remove the constructions, which was granted.
Former corporator Kalim Khan alias Guddu, had constructed the hotel many years ago near Harifatak over-bridge on a land belonging to the UMC. Before construction of the hotel, this land was used for parking trucks and other vehicles. It is said that Guddu was elected to the UMC as an independent corporator, and had used his influence to usurp the land illegally to build a huge hotel and garden.
When the officers had tried to demolish it earlier, Nilofer Khan, a resident of Wazir Park Colony and Kalim Khan filed a petition against the demolition. The court had accepted it and had passed a stay order because of which they were not able to demolish the hotel then. Two days earlier, UMC officials showed cause to the Court in a writ petition (4884/2017) which passed an order in UMC’s favour.
Hushed up meet
To demolish the hotel, the collectorate held a hushed up meeting at night, which included the collector, ADM and SP, who were authorized to handle the entire proceedings. The police force, health department, electricity board and UMC were given instructions late at night to accomplish the mission.
