LUCKNOW, July 11 -- The designated court of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) on Friday ordered the demolition of the three-storey building in Aliganj where a devastating fire claimed 15 lives and injured nine others on June 22. The ruling upholds the authority's case that the structure was operating in blatant violation of building norms. The Vihit Pradhikari pronounced its verdict a day after reserving its order, clearing the way for demolition proceedings against the property. Following the order, the LDA issued a demolition notice directing the owners to remove the unauthorised construction within 15 days, failing which the authority will carry out the demolition and recover the cost from them. The action has been initiated under Section 27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973. The notice pertains to property number MS-102, Sector-D, Zone-4, Aliganj, said LDA V-C Prathamesh Kumar. LDA zonal in charge Madhvesh Kumar along with other officials reached the property and served the demolition order on Friday. The order marks a significant development in the investigation into one of Lucknow's deadliest fire tragedies and reinforces the LDA's crackdown on unauthorised constructions. According to the LDA, a departmental inspection conducted after the June 22 fire found that the building was being used commercially despite having approval only for residential purposes. Officials also found that unauthorised construction had allegedly been carried out without obtaining mandatory approval from the authority. The LDA had issued a show-cause notice to the owners on June 23. After examining the inspection report and the owners' response, the authority initiated proceedings, which culminated in Friday's court order. Official records show the three-storey building stands on a 1,992-sq ft plot in Sector D, Aliganj. The property was purchased through a registered sale deed on January 19, 2013, and was transferred in the names of Virendra Pratap Shukla and Surendra Pratap Shukla by the LDA on August 7, 2014. The owners later obtained approval for construction of a residential building under the Auto-Map Scheme through permit number 7287/36798 on August 20, 2014. The sanctioned map remained valid until August 19, 2019. LDA officials maintained that the existing structure exceeded the sanctioned plan and violated the approved residential land use. The authority warned that if the owners fail to remove the unauthorised portions within the stipulated period, it will execute the demolition and recover the expenses in accordance with law. They said the order is expected to set a precedent for stricter enforcement against illegal constructions and misuse of residential buildings across the city following the fatal Aliganj inferno....