Tribunal Cannot Compound Openly Committed Building Violations; Demolition Order Upheld: Jammu and Kashmir High Court

In a significant ruling, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has reaffirmed that unauthorized constructions cannot be validated simply by paying compounding fees, even if a considerable time has passed since the violation. The Court held that the failure of competent authorities to take timely action in preventing such violations cannot be used as a justification to condone the illegal constructions. Case Background: The case involved a petition challenging the…