LUCKNOW, Aug. 29 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has refused to entertain a writ petition filed by the owner of a building in Lucknow's Aliganj area where a devastating fire claimed 15 lives on June 22 this year, challenging the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA)'s demolition order as well as the subsequent demolition action.

The court, however, permitted the petitioner, Birendra Prasad Shukla, the co-owner of the building, to avail the statutory remedy of appeal available under the law within a week. Shukla had challenged the LDA's demolition order dated July 10, the subsequent demolition of the building on July 25 and the consequential demand of Rs.26,14,210 towards demolition costs.

The division bench of Justice Raj...