India, April 9 -- New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Delhi government's archaeology department for delaying the declaration of a 700-year-old Lodhi-era structure as a protected monument, the Gumti of Shaikh Ali, even three months after the court ordered the residents' welfare association (RWA) of Defence Colony to evacuate the structure it had been illegally occupying for six decades.

A bench headed by justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said, "Unnecessarily, you are delaying the process of declaring the structure as a protected monument."

On January 31, the top court directed the RWA to vacate the premises and ordered the land and development office (L&DO) to take charge of the land. It directed the Municipal Corporation of Del...