$~74 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 830/2026 & CM APPL. 4082/2026 HELP INDIAN AGAINST CORRUPTION .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Kuldeep Rai, Adv. with Mr.

Ashraf Ali and Mr. Ishwar Chandra Roy, Advocates.

versus SPECIAL TASK FORCE DDA AND ORS .....Respondents Through: Mr. Shashi Pratap Singh, Ms. Shagun Sabharwal and Mr. Laqshyaa Saluja, Advocates for R-1/STF (DDA).

Mr. Manu Chaturvedi, SC for MCD along with Mohd. Asif AE (B) CSPZ. Mr. Jagdish Chandra, CGSC with Ms. Ayushi Srivastava, GP, Ms. Aishwaria Sinha and Mr. Sujeet Kumar, Advocates for R-4/Delhi Police.

CORAM:

HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TEJAS KARIA

O R D E R

% 21.01.2026

1. This Petition, in the nature of Public Interest Litigation (“PIL”), is filed inter alia seeking the following prayers:

“a) Issue writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ/order directing the respondents to take appropriate action in the shape of issuance of directions in the form of mandamus to the respondent No.1 to implement the statutory obligations as mentioned in the Office Memorandum dated 25.04.2018 and 23.05.2018 issued by Government of India Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in its true letter and spirit; and/or b) Direct respondent No.1 Special Task Force for city-wide monitoring and enforcement of Office Memorandum dated 25.04.2018 and 23.05.2018 issued by Government of India Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; and/or c) Direct Respondent No.1 taking appropriate action against the erring officers of Respondent No. 2 to 4 who are in connivance with the encroachers/builders, illegally constructing on public lands or municipal land as the same is being carried out without sanctioned site plan and against the Building Bye Laws; and/or d) may pass any guidelines for effective and continuous implementation and monitoring of abovesaid obligations/objectives of the office memorandum dated 25.04.2018 and 23.05.2018; and/or e) may pass a direction to initiate an inquiry/investigation against the erring officers of the respondent No. 1 to 3 by the respondent No.5”

2. We have heard the learned Counsel for the Petitioner as well as Municipal Corporation of Delhi (“MCD”) and Delhi Development Authority (“DDA”).

3. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner submitted that the Petitioner is a Non-Governmental Organisation (“NGO”) registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 since 2012 with an aim to fight corruption by seeking appropriate legal remedies as per law. In the present Petition, the Petitioner has sought a writ of mandamus directing Respondent No. 1 to comply with the statutory applications as mentioned in the Office Memorandum dated 25.04.2018 and 23.05.2018 (“OMs”) issued by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India and direction for taking appropriate action against the erring officers of MCD, specifically against certain named officials of MCD provided in the Petition.

4. The main grievance of the Petitioner is that several illegal constructions as well as violation of building bye-laws are existing in particular areas and despite several complaints to the Respondents, no action has been taken by the Respondents. According to the Petitioner, the illegal activities are being carried on by the officers of MCD in connivance with the builders / owners / occupiers in facilitating the same by taking bribe and also providing shelter to builders / owners / occupiers.

5. The Petitioner has sent several complaints to the Respondents alleging that certain officers of MCD for permitting illegal construction on the land belonging to Ramjas Foundation / DDA in Anand Parbat Industrial Area without the permission of the Ramjas Foundation / DDA and the Petitioner has provided details of five such properties in its complaints. Further, the Petitioner has also filed complaints regarding illegal constructions as well as violation of building bye-laws in Municipal Ward No. 71 (Kishan Ganj) and made allegations against certain officials of MCD for per