Delhi High Court Upholds Demolition of Signature View Apartments Built for 2010 CWG

The Delhi High Court upheld the demolition order for Signature View Apartments, a Commonwealth Games-era housing complex plagued by severe structural decay. The judgment, delivered by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, dismissed the appeal filed by resident Manmohan Singh Attri, affirming the legality and urgency of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) action.

The Signature View Apartments, situated across 12 towers in Mukherjee Nagar, were originally built for Commonwealth Games players and officials. After the event, the flats were sold to residents. However, residents soon started reporting severe deterioration of the flats.

After that, multiple technical studies were conducted. For example, the National Council for Cement and Building Materials in 2015 and 2019 found that these buildings have severely worsened and have no scope for repair. Later, Professor Shashank Bishnoi of IIT Delhi in 2022 warned of the risk to life and thus recommended immediate evacuation.

As a result, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) issued an order on December 18, 2023, under Sections 348 and 349 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, ordering residents to vacate the buildings.

Attri had contested the MCD’s demolition notice, arguing that the order was ultra vires and based on flawed expert reports. He also challenged the dismissal of his writ and review petitions by a single judge earlier this year.

The court relied heavily on expert assessments from IIT Delhi, NCCBM, and the Shriram Institute, all of which painted a grim picture of the building’s condition. IIT Delhi’s Prof. Shashank Bishnoi’s report was central to the case. Later, a three-member committee from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs echoed these concerns, deeming the towers uninhabitable.

Rejecting the appellant’s arguments, the bench held:

The demolition order, though issued by an Additional Commissioner, was within the bounds of delegated authority under the DMC Act. The court emphasized that the source of expert opinion is immaterial if the findings are credible and relevant. Citing precedents, the bench reiterated that courts must defer to technical experts in matters of structural safety.

The ruling has far-reaching implications for hundreds of residents who now face displacement. While the court acknowledged the emotional and financial toll, it underscored that public safety must prevail over individual hardship.

With the legal roadblock cleared, the MCD is expected to proceed with demolition and initiate rehabilitation measures.

Case Details:

• Case Law: Manmohan Singh Attri v. Union of India & Ors. (LPA 533/2025, CM APPL. 51855/2025, CM APPL. 51856/2025 & CM APPL. 51857/2025)
• Judgement Date: 17th September 2025
• Bench: Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya & Justice Tushar Rao Gedela

Click HERE for full Judgment

Written By: Tannu Singh