3 min readChandigarhSep 30, 2025 10:18 PM IST
First published on: Sep 30, 2025 at 10:18 PM IST
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Haryana government over the operation of 63 unauthorised banquet halls in Gurgaon, warning of serious fire safety risks and massive revenue losses.
A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by RTI activist Harinder Dhingra. The petition, argued by advocate Karanveer Singh Khehar, accuses authorities of failing to enforce the law despite repeated directives, allowing the illegal halls to function unchecked for more than a decade. Dhingra has estimated revenue losses of over ₹74 crore from unpaid regularisation fees and property taxes.
A decade of warnings ignored
The matter dates back to 2013, when Dhingra first sought details of banquet halls through an RTI application. After pressure from the State Information Commission, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) admitted in 2014 that 63 halls were running without licences, building approvals, change-of-land-use permissions, or mandatory fire safety clearances.
Even more alarming, 34 of these venues were found within 900 metres of the Gurugram ammunition depot – a restricted zone with heightened security concerns.
In 2016, Dhingra approached the Haryana Lokayukta, alleging collusion among officials. After a detailed probe, the Lokayukta in 2021 confirmed dereliction of duty, ordering a survey, sealing of the halls, recovery of dues, and disciplinary action against guilty officials.
Orders that gathered dust
In June 2022, then MCG commissioner V Umashankar directed joint commissioners to seal all unlicensed halls lacking fire safety no-objection certificates. A reminder followed that August. But according to the petition, not a single hall was sealed.
Repeated RTI applications since 2022, as well as a legal notice served in July this year, have drawn no compliance reports.
Frustrated by the inaction, Dhingra served a legal notice to the MCG on July 28, 2025, demanding enforcement of the Lokayukta’s order and the sealing directives. Another RTI on August 26, 2025, probing the notice’s status also went unanswered. “Despite the passage of more than four years since the Lokayukta’s final order and repeated directions by the Commissioner, not a single banquet hall has been sealed,” the petition states, emphasising that these venues continue to host large gatherings daily, endangering thousands of lives.
The violations, according to Dhingra, contravene key provisions of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 (Sections 331 and 337), and the Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2022 (Sections 18 and 30). The absence of fire safety NOCs, in particular, is flagged as a direct threat to the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, given the high occupancy of these halls during weddings and events.
Activist’s plea to the court
Arguing for the petitioner, advocate Khehar sought:
• Immediate sealing of all 63 unauthorized halls
• Recovery of over ₹74 crore in dues
• Quashing of any permissions that enabled illegal operations
• Disciplinary and criminal proceedings against erring officials
He argued that the continued operation of these halls, especially without fire safety clearances, violates citizens’ right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
In 2016, Dhingra approached the Haryana Lokayukta, alleging collusion among officials. (File) 
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