MCD seals 56 jewellery shops in Chandni Chowk's Kucha Mahajani

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi sealed at least 56 jewellery shops in Kucha Mahajani, a bullion market in Chandni Chowk, on 10 September, with traders saying gold and silver ornaments worth crores were left locked inside the premises.

According to Yogesh Singhal, who heads the All India Bullion and Jewellers Association, officials carried out the sealing around 11.30 am after pasting notices on the shops.

The action is part of tighter enforcement against dangerous and illegal buildings across the capital, which intensified after seven people were killed in a building collapse in Satya Niketan.

Traders said the officials, accompanied by police, arrived without any advance notice and pasted notices before sealing shops in several buildings simultaneously. Some shopkeepers said they grasped what was happening only after reaching their establishments.

The association also pointed out that the notices bore earlier dates. One notice that was shared was dated 12 May and directed owners to stop the unauthorised commercial use of basements within 48 hours.

"Basement of the property in question, directing thereby to stop misuse of the basement and bring the premises within the permitted use of Master Plan-2021 within 48 hours, as to why the aforesaid be not sealed for commercial activity," the notice read.

Traders voiced concern over the valuables trapped inside the sealed shops and the disruption to their businesses. The association questioned whether accountability would extend beyond traders to government departments and politicians in the wake of the Satya Niketan tragedy.

"The question to consider is whether, after the Satya Niketan tragedy, only traders will have to bear the brunt of this tragedy or whether action will also be taken against any government department and politicians," the association said in a statement.

The MCD had not responded to the allegations.

Satya Niketan collapse

A five-storey paying guest building collapsed in Satya Niketan on 6 September, killing seven people and injuring 12. Five of those killed were Delhi University students, and the building mainly housed students from outside Delhi.

Initial findings linked the collapse to unsafe alterations in the 50-year-old structure. Operators allegedly filled the basement with three truckloads of heavy construction waste, and a main support wall was removed to make space for a shop. The building had five floors although only two were permitted.

Police arrested the owner, his son, the operator and a contractor, while the MCD suspended five municipal officials over alleged negligence. The Supreme Court has asked the Delhi High Court to continue monitoring the case and sought reports on building violations from authorities across state and Union Territory capitals.