Old Delhi outrage
A 15th‑century ASI‑listed monument in Old Delhi was razed to build a bungalow now allotted to the Delhi Chief Secretary — the demolition sparked public outrage and social coverage (x.com). The episode adds to mounting concern about crumbling havelis and heritage loss exposed in a new WION documentary on preservation challenges (x.com).
Delhi Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma — a 1992‑AGMUT‑cadre IAS officer appointed chief secretary of Delhi in October 2025 — moved into the Kilokri Jal Vihar bungalow about a month ago, according to officials. (indianexpress.com) The bungalow has a reported built‑up area of roughly 700 sq m on a 5,500 sq m plot and was constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 4 crore. (indianexpress.com) Government records and ASI listings described the earlier structure on the site as a Pathan‑period “mahal” dating to 1418 (the Sayyid dynasty), and the Delhi Vigilance department issued a show‑cause notice in April 2023 to then‑DJB CEO Udit Prakash Rai over the demolition. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Internal correspondence shows the archaeology department wrote to the Delhi Jal Board in January 2021 seeking possession for conservation, inspectors found the monument missing in January 2023, and by May 2023 vigilance had issued show‑cause notices to five officers for alleged connivance. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) DJB minutes show the allotment was cleared at a recent board meeting and the property had been vacant since the former DJB CEO vacated it in September 2023 before the current allotment. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) A new WION documentary profiling Old Delhi’s havelis — “Old Delhi’s Haveli Caught Between Revival & Ruin” — highlights widespread decay even as journalists and heritage outlets note at least five high‑profile haveli restorations in the past decade, including Haveli Dharampura and the Kathika Cultural Centre. (youtube.com)
