Delhi sealing: TRAI faces SC ire
Hopes of getting protection from the sealing drive of schools and government institutions operating from residential areas were on Wednesday dashed as the Supreme Court declined to budge from its stand and the telecom regulator TRAI had to face its ire.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal took strong exception that even TRAI, whose office was sealed, was operating from the residential area.
“How can they regulate (telecom industry) if they cannot regulate themselves”? The Bench, also comprising Justices C K Thakker and R V Raveendran, observed.
The observation came while the Bench was perusing the application of the Government and MCD, in which they apprised about the sealing drive by referring to some big names, including that of TRAI, whose premises were sealed.
The court wanted to know whether TRAI was functioning from the rented premises or it had purchased the building.
When no certain reply was given to it, the Bench said “why should such type of authority use such premises–whether rented or purchased”?
The fate of schools operating from residential area to get protection from the sealing drive also dashed as the court declined to entertain a plea of a private school.
“There have to be rule of law. There cannot be compassion minus rule of law,” the Bench observed while refusing to grant relief to Delhi International School situated on Mathura Road.
When senior advocate M N Krishnamani sought relief for the school on the ground that it was functioning since 1962, the Bench said it cannot pass order on the oral submission.
“We cannot entertain any verbal submission. We cannot pass any order,” the Bench said.