Calcutta High Court stays demolition of Kolkata's rooftop restaurants amid civic body's crackdown

The court has stayed the demolition drive by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) till Thursday when the hearing will resume.

The hearing took place after the owner of a rooftop restaurant moved the High Court claiming the eatery was demolished despite having "permission".

"You cannot demolish a restaurant like this… You cannot demolish it because of the section of the law under which you have sent the notice to the hotel authorities," Justice Gaurang Kant observed as quoted by The Indian Express.

After the state's counsel said it had taken steps in view of the situation, the petitioner argued as quoted by the daily, "You cannot demolish a restaurant like this… You cannot demolish it because of the section of the law under which you have sent the notice to the hotel authorities."

"Why did the police come at night and demolish the restaurant? Are we criminals? We have all the licenses," the petitioner's counsel argued claiming a 15-day notice must have been served.

The KMC, which is run by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, decided to impose a complete ban on rooftop restaurants and commercial establishments operating atop buildings across the city after a deadly fire broke out at central Kolkata's Rituraj Hotel where 14 people were killed.

After a surprise visit to Park Street, which is a hub of pubs and restaurants, Mamata Banerjee initially shut down six eateries over an alleged fire rule violation followed by a complete ban on rooftop eating houses in the city.