India, Feb. 19 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a residents' welfare association (RWA) in Defence Colony, which had converted a 700-year-old monument into an office space, to suggest the quantum of compensation for illegally occupying the Lodhi-era structure for over six decades.

The development came weeks after the court on January 21 had ordered the RWA to vacate the structure - known as Gumti of Shaikh Ali - and appointed senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan as court commissioner to ensure the smooth handover of possession to the land and development office (L&DO).

The proceedings emanated from a petition filed by Defence Colony resident Rajeev Suri, seeking orders from the court to declare the structure as a protected monu...