The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed 54 jewellery shops operating from basements in Kucha Mahajani, a major wholesale jewellery and bullion market in Chandni Chowk, over alleged violations of building and land-use regulations.
The action was carried out on September 10 as part of an intensified civic enforcement drive against unauthorised commercial activity and potentially unsafe buildings in the capital.
According to the MCD, the affected premises were being used for commercial activities in basements that were not permitted for such use under the Master Plan for Delhi-2021.
The civic body also cited violations of the Unified Building Bye-Laws-2016, including non-compliance with mandatory Fire Department and other statutory clearances.
Sealing orders were issued under Section 345-A read with Section 347 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.
The civic body said the action was taken on the directions of the Monitoring Committee associated with the Supreme Court and was intended to prevent untoward incidents and safeguard public safety.
MCD teams accompanied by police personnel reached Kucha Mahajani at around 11:30 am and carried out the sealing operation across multiple properties.
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The All India Bullion and Jewellers Association said jewellery, gold and silver bullion worth crores of rupees remained locked inside some of the sealed shops.
Traders claimed that the sealing was carried out without adequate prior warning and said notices were pasted on the premises around the time of the action.
There is a difference between the figures cited by the civic body and traders, with the MCD saying 54 illegal shops were sealed and traders claiming 56 jewellery and bullion-related shops had been affected.
The sealing comes amid heightened scrutiny of unauthorised construction and building safety in Delhi following the Satya Niketan building collapse, which resulted in seven deaths.
The MCD has subsequently intensified enforcement against properties considered to be in violation of building regulations.
Kucha Mahajani is a prominent wholesale jewellery and bullion market in Chandni Chowk, where several buildings and commercial properties operate within a dense urban setting.
Traders have called for a broader redevelopment approach for such commercial hubs, while the civic authorities have maintained that enforcement is necessary where properties are being used in violation of prescribed building and land-use rules.
