On BJP MP’s plea, HC asks Deoghar administration to issue demolition notices

RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court has directed Deoghar district administration to serve demolition notices to the owners of nine high-rise buildings around the airport, making them respondents, and submit a report in this regard.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Godda MP Nishikant Dubey. Deoghar airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 12. The direction was passed by the division bench comprising Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice SN Prasad while hearing a contempt petition filed by Dubey. The court will hear the matter next on October 19.

Dubey had approached Jharkhand High Court saying that the district administration so far has failed to demolish the nine high-rise buildings, which should not exist around the airport. Apart from this, he also informed the court that night landing facility is yet to be started at the airport.

Deoghar airport had hit the headlines recently after BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Manoj Tiwari along with seven others were booked by Jharkhand police for forcefully entering the Air Traffic Control (ATC) building and taking clearance for take-off on August 31. In the FIR lodged by airport security in-charge Suman Anan at Kunda police station on September 1, Dubey was charged with violating safety standards by misusing his power for take-off despite the fact that Deoghar airport doesn’t have a night take-off or landing facility. 

The FIR then led to a Twitter war of words between Dubey and Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri, with both of them accusing each other of violating safety norms by entering the ATC room. The Delhi Police also filed a ‘Zero FIR’ against Bhajantri on Dubey’s complaint. Dubey had filed the contempt petition through his lawyer Diwakar Upadhyay after the district administration failed to ensure proper operation of the airport.