Calcutta High Court asks CBI to probe construction on Kolkata's Tripura House premises

Justice Amrita Sinha also imposed a penalty of ₹44 crore on the owner and developer of the building, with each being asked to pay ₹22 crore, for felling a large number of trees within the premises

The Calcutta High Court has directed the CBI to investigate the construction of a multi-storey building on the heritage Tripura House premises in south Kolkata to unearth possible irregularities.

Justice Amrita Sinha also imposed a penalty of ₹44 crore on the owner and developer of the building, with each being asked to pay ₹22 crore, for felling a large number of trees within the premises. The court on May 19 directed an investigation by the CBI to unearth possible irregularities involved in obtaining approval of the building plan proposal at a Grade I heritage property.

"The investigation will be carried out under strict supervision of the Regional Head, Central Bureau of Investigation," Justice Sinha directed. She directed the CBI to submit an investigation report in a sealed cover before the Registrar General of the High Court by June 20.

Tripura House situated on Ballygunge Circular Road is owned by the family of the erstwhile Maharajas of the northeastern State. Pradyot Deb Barman, son of the former Maharaja, currently heads the political party TIPRA Motha which recently swept the elections to the Tripura Tribal District Autonomous Council defeating BJP's ally IPFT.

The court said on a perusal of the minutes of the meeting of the West Bengal Heritage Commission held on January 16, 2015, it appears that only its chairman Shuvaprasanna and the then mayor, KMC Shovan Chattopadhyay were present.

The judge said that the absence of the third member of the Commission, the mayor of Howrah Municipal Corporation was recorded in the minutes. "The urgency in taking a decision on the said date in the absence of the third member cannot be countenanced at all," the court observed.