Archive · 29 Jan 2026
SC clears housing project near Visva-Bharati University
The Supreme Court has allowed the construction of a housing project near Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal.
The court said the construction was legal and set aside an earlier order by the Calcutta High Court that had asked for its demolition.
The high court had said the land was special 'khoai' land that should be preserved, but the Supreme Court said there was no proof of this.
The Supreme Court also fined the people who had filed a case against the construction for not providing proper evidence.
The court said the construction was approved by the local authorities and followed the rules.
The Supreme Court cleared the construction of a commercial housing project near Visva-Bharati University, setting aside the Calcutta High Court's demolition order.
The high court had considered the land as 'khoai' (protected) land, but the Supreme Court noted no such category exists under West Bengal's revenue laws.
The Supreme Court found no evidence of fraud or illegalities in the construction process, which was approved by the Ruppur Gram Panchayat in 2011.
The court criticized the high court's decision, stating that the PIL petitioners did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims.
The Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the PIL petitioners for not disclosing their existing residential structures near the disputed construction.
- Who
- Aarsuday Projects (developer), Supreme Court, Calcutta High Court, PIL petitioners
- What
- Construction of a commercial housing project near Visva-Bharati University
- When
- Approval by Ruppur Gram Panchayat on November 5, 2011; Supreme Court decision on January 29
- Where
- Near Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal
- Why
- The Supreme Court found no evidence of fraud or illegalities, and the construction was approved by competent authorities
- Land Type
- danga (barren land) converted to bastu (residential use)
- Land Area
- 0.39 acres
- Developer
- Aarsuday Projects
- Approval Date
- November 5, 2011
- High Court Order
- Demolition of the construction
- Supreme Court Decision
- Cleared the construction, set aside HC order
- Fine Imposed
- Rs 1 lakh on PIL petitioners