New Delhi: Delhi Police has told National Green Tribunal (NGT) that its personnel cannot break open the locks of premises suspected of housing illegal polluting units without proper legal authority.Police informed the tribunal that officials of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) could exercise their statutory powers to enter and search premises suspected of violating environmental laws, provided they recorded reasons for believing that an offence had been committed, was being committed or was likely to be committed.Alternatively, the agency concerned could approach the jurisdictional magistrate for a search warrant, which police could execute if required.The submission came in response to an Aug directive of the tribunal, which had asked Delhi Police commissioner to clarify the procedure for inspecting premises found locked from outside but suspected of being involved in illegal polluting activities. The direction followed submissions by inspection teams that lack of authorisation often prevented them from entering such premises.The tribunal is hearing a plea filed by activist Varun Gulati alleging that several red-category industrial units are operating illegally in east Delhi.During earlier proceedings in Aug, NGT was informed that a joint inspection team comprising officials from MCD, DPCC, BSES and Delhi Police had visited three locations in Arvind Nagar and Ghonda village on Oct 31, 2025. However, the premises were found locked, preventing inspections from being carried out.
