Day after the Supreme Court directed the Defence Colony Welfare Association (DCWA) to pay Rs 40 lakh to the Department of Archeology as a penalty for using a Lodhi-era tomb as its office, DCWA president Ranjit Singh said that many residents of the area have come forward to help them crowdfund the amount. Speaking to The Indian Express, Singh said that while the court had suggested, but not mandated, that the DCWA could solicit contributions from residents, their approach is to keep contributions voluntary rather than compulsory. “After the court imposed a penalty on us, residents expressed their willingness to pitch in. Otherwise, we also have some leftover funds from the annual charges we collect,” he said. The DCWA has occupied the tomb for the past 60 years, during which time it has made several unauthorized modifications. A report by the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) detailed these alterations, including the installation of false ceilings, tiled flooring, and aluminum doors and windows. Additional structures, such as toilets next to one side of the tomb and a shed on another, have been constructed, along with plumbing and electrical installations.
