High Court: remove encroachments on Kalka-Shimla highway within 48 hours

Directing the authorities to act tough,the Bench held: “It is made clear that looking into the conduct of unauthorised occupants,the authorities concerned shall deal with resistance,if any,from such occupants firmly and in accordance with the law. However,we hope that the occupants,while acting in the larger public interest,will remove the encroachment on their own by Sunday evening.”

They have also been directed to give the offenders an ultimatum till the midnight of February 1,and have been asked to make the necessary announcements on loudspeakers. The entire market on the Kalka-Shimla highway,meanwhile,was closed today as a mark of protest.

The High Court had earlier directed the authorities to carry out a demarcation of the land following which a petition was submitted on January 15 by the counsel for unauthorised occupants stating that they would themselves remove the illegal structures.