Chandigarh: The mighty Nexus Elante Mall, once the pride of Chandigarh’s skyline, is now under the bulldozer.
In a dramatic Sunday morning action, the Chandigarh Administration sent in JCBs and police forces to tear down massive illegal constructions and blatant violations that had been ignored for years.
Officials from the Estate Office, led by SDM East-cum-Assistant Estate Officer Khushpreet Kaur, swooped down on the mall in Industrial Area Phase 1 after repeated warnings and hearings failed to bring compliance.
The message is loud and clear — even the biggest names will not be spared if they break the law.
The administration’s report lays bare the shocking scale of violations — 10 major breaches covering 35,040 square feet.
The most outrageous among them: 22,000 square feet of parking space — meant for the public — converted into fancy landscaping.
While citizens struggled to find parking, the mall turned vital parking zones into green patches and commercial space — in open defiance of city rules.
As if that wasn’t enough, unauthorized commercial activity was found in basement areas meant only for utilities — including an illegal day-care, canteen, mess, and washrooms, all being run in violation of fire and safety norms.
An open café sprawled across 3,000 sq. ft. of public space, operating without a single permit.
“They were given more than enough chances to correct violations. Instead, they continued to flout every rule. This is the result,” an administration officer said bluntly.
The Estate Office has slapped a hefty daily fine of ₹8 per square foot until the violations are cleared — a penalty that could run into lakhs of rupees every day.
Action has been initiated under the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 and the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952.
⚠️ 10 Major Violations Exposed Inside Elante Mall
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500 sq. ft. illegal storage structure built on the mall’s right flank.
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850 sq. ft. iron structure raised stealthily behind Hyatt Residency.
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3,000 sq. ft. café and sheds brazenly occupying public open area.
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550 sq. ft. illegal shed at the valet entry.
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1,800 sq. ft. unauthorized expansion of Anita Dongre store.
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Parking lots (P-1, P-6, P-9, P-10, P-25, P-32) illegally converted into “green areas.”
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3,500 sq. ft. wall and shed raised in Parking P-21.
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2,500 sq. ft. basement converted into day-care, mess, canteen, and washrooms.
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Hemley slide sealed between 2nd and 3rd floors.
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300 sq. ft. wooden storage added in the 2nd basement.
The crackdown on Chandigarh’s largest mall marks one of the toughest enforcement drives in recent years.
For years, whispers of “influence and immunity” surrounded the property — but today’s bulldozer action shattered that myth.
The administration has drawn a line — and Elante Mall just crossed it.
No matter how powerful the builder, how famous the brand — illegal construction will meet the same fate: demolition.
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