India, April 11 -- Terming Khan Market the "shaan of Delhi", the Delhi High Court on Friday permitted several restaurants in the area to operate without a fire NOC if they maintained occupancy of less than 50 people.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav observed that the outlets were situated in the city's most prestigious and historically significant commercial area, which has "structural constraints" since its inception, and the court did not want these eateries to shut down due to any "extraneous" situation.

The court was dealing with a batch of petitions by several Khan Market outlets, including Khan Chacha, Anglow, Starbucks Coffee, and Sly Granny. The restaurants sought renewal of their health licence and other approvals for running ...