After Delhi lawyer’s plea on congestion around Tis Hazari court complex, police and MCD submit reports on steps taken

“…MCD has been taking action against the vendors operating illegally. It is submitted that recently MCD has taken joint temporary encroachment removal action on 21.03.2025, 22.03.2025, 24.03.2025 & 25.03.2025 in the area Tis Hazari Court. St. Stephen Hospital, Gokhle Market, Rajender Market, Khanna Market, Mori Gate Gole Chakkar and surrounding areas with the help of police force provided Police Station Subzi Mandi and all the temporary encroachment in the above area has been removed and the area has been made encroachment free,” the civic body said in its status report submitted before Civil Judge Rinku Jain of Tis Hazari court.

On the other hand, a report submitted by Sub-Inspector K L Kuldeep from Kashmiri Gate Police station stated that 20 heavy vehicles had been impounded and 30 challans imposed on them in 2024. It further said that 1,963 challans had been imposed for improper parking and 1,700 challans for permit violations had been imposed during the same time.

In 2024, the report stated, 830 vehicles had been seized by the police station. From January 2025 till date, 190 vehicles have already been seized, it added. Under section 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 852 First Information Reports (FIRs) were lodged at the police station last year, stated the report. This year, 139 such FIRs have already been lodged.

The authorities were complying with a direction passed by the judge on the last date of hearing in which he had asked them to file detailed status reports at the next hearing.

Judge Jain was hearing a suit filed by advocate Devender Dhiryan who had requested the removal of “illegal encroachments” on public roads and footpaths, besides highlighting “traffic congestion and unregulated activities” which, he said, had proliferated in a one-kilometre radius of Tis Hazari court and surrounding areas.

Along with the MCD and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kashmiri Gate Police station, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, and the SHO of Subzi Mandi police station were also asked to submit status reports.

Sub-Inspector Neeraj submitted a report on behalf of the Subzi Mandi police station stating that “76 cases have been registered by the concerned beat staff regarding encroachments or obstructions at public places.”

The most detailed report was submitted by the Traffic inspector, Civil Lines Circle Delhi, which mentioned that 31 traffic personnel had been deployed in two shifts to mitigate the vehicular congestion around Tis Hazari Court.

The report mentioned that from January 1 to March 24 this year, 5,946 challans had been imposed. Of these, 5,111 were e-challans. While 2,303 challans were imposed on motorcycles, 598 were imposed on e-rickshaws, 287 on buses, and 948 on commercial vehicles.

For improper parking, the report stated, 995 challans had been imposed and another 1,005 had been imposed for “no entry violations.” Along with this, 154 vehicles had been impounded, including 101 buses and 20 two-wheelers.

The report also pointed out various reasons for the congestion, such as inadequate parking space on the court premises and a high number of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses passing through the area. “The distance of bus stand is merely 50 metres from Tis Hazari traffic signal. If 4-5 buses come together, that creates a bottleneck and slows down the movement of traffic,” it stated.

It also pinned the blame on people who use small and slow-moving commercial vehicles to reach Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, and Khoya Mandi markets.

Along with this, the report also highlighted various inter-authority options that were being explored such as requesting the DTC to explore the possibility of shifting the bus stand and requesting the MCD to explore the possibility of constructing a multi-level parking around Mori Gate.