New Delhi
The order, a copy of which was accessed by HT , reads that police are not “technically qualified to determine whether a building is structurally unsafe, whether it violates an approved building plan or whether construction has encroached upon government land. As per the procedure, any police station receiving information about unauthorised construction or violation of the DMC Act should inform the deputy commissioner (DC) concerned of the MCD in writing, and share a copy of the communique with the alleged offender and the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) concerned on the same day. The DCP, in turn, has to write to the commissioner of the agency concerned about the same. The DCP can also recommend postponement of a demolition operation if there are law-and-order concerns or adequate police force is not available at the time.
Police said they can intervene directly in stopping construction only when the municipal corporation invokes its powers under Section 344(2) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act (DMC) Act and sends a direction. In a circular cited in the order, issued in May 2025, police stated explicitly that there was “no inherent authority with police officials to stop any unauthorised construction.
The Delhi Police has stated that it is not “technically qualified” to determine building safety or adherence to norms and its officers and beat staff cannot stop construction work or initiate action against buildings without directions from civic authorities, as per a standing order issued to police subdivisions after perusal by the police commissioner, HT has learnt. The standing order said that zonal assistant engineers (building) are empowered to issue such directions to police. The circular, issued in June, directs all police subdivisions to strictly follow the prescribed procedure in light of the allegations made over the Saidulajab building collapse in May, as civic officials had said that the Delhi Police knew about the illegal construction and the demolition project near Turkman Gate in January itself, when clashes broke out between police and locals. The police said that their role is confined to maintaining law and order during demolition drives by civic bodies, but only after intimation to the DCP concerned “sufficiently in advance” about the date, venue and scale of the operation.
