“When we summon the officers, then it starts pinching...
Your officers should understand all this...
(It takes) six months to finalise and choose an agency to conduct a survey,” it added.
Nearly six months since the Delhi High Court directed Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other authorities to conduct a survey of the Tughlakabad Fort area – which includes the ASI-protected monument of Tughlakabad Fort – for encroachments, the ASI is yet to issue a work order to conduct the survey.
A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, while dealing with the matter on Wednesday, expressed its displeasure at the delay.
Addressing the counsel of ASI, as the body sought time from the court, CJ Upadhyaya orally remarked, “We are giving you four months, but please complete it… Six months you took to finalise a survey agency?
That too under the orders of the court?
Forget the orders of the court.
Even (under the orders of court-constituted) committee… you could not ensure that the survey could be started within a month or two from the date of passing of the order?”
“When we summon the officers, then it starts pinching… Your officers should understand all this… (It takes) six months to finalise and choose an agency to conduct a survey,” it added.
The ASI’s counsel, admitting to the delay and apologising for the same, assured the court that the survey will be conducted expeditiously.
The scope of the survey — to be conducted by an agency appointed by the ASI — will include details such as the total area under encroachment, areas from which encroachments have been removed, detailed survey of the families residing in the area as well as number of jhuggi jhopdi clusters, private residential units, commercial establishments, schools and religious structures, among others.
The survey report is to be submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHuA).
In a meeting of a court-constituted committee on March 12, ASI director general (DG) had informed the committee that while “in-principle approval for finalising the agency to conduct the survey at the site has been received, however, the work order is yet to be issued”.
The ASI DG, however, had assured the committee that the survey will be completed within two-three months.
The HC, on September 24, 2025, had constituted the committee to conduct the survey to “devise a joint policy decision” for removal of illegal encroachments as well as for rehabilitation of those “who may be required to be uprooted and displaced”.
The court, at the time, had given a tentative timeline of two months for the survey and policy framing.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express.
Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond.
She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers.
Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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Source: This article was originally published by The Indian Express
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