Court angry over 'arbitrary' demolition of houses in Prayagraj…
The supreme court on monday criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for 'arbitrary' demolition of houses in Prayagraj, saying that this action has shocked their conscience. A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan also expressed displeasure over the demolition of houses with bulldozers within 24 hours of giving notice and not giving time to the victims to appeal.
The bench said, "It shakes our conscience how residential complexes were demolished arbitrarily. The way the whole process was carried out is shocking. Courts cannot tolerate such a process. If we tolerate it in one case, it will continue." The apex court said that the court will allow the petitioners to rebuild the demolished houses, provided they file an appeal before the appellate authority within the prescribed time. What did the court comment
The court said that if their appeal is rejected, the petitioners will have to demolish the houses at their own expense. The matter was adjourned for the petitioners to file an affidavit. Attorney General R Venkataramani, defending the state's action, assured that adequate 'due process' was followed in issuing notices. He pointed to large-scale illegal encroachments and said that it is difficult for the state government to control unauthorized occupation. The apex court had earlier criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for demolishing houses in Prayagraj without following due legal process and said that this action gives 'shocking and wrong signals'.
The petition was rejected earlier
The counsel for the petitioners had said that the state government wrongly demolished the houses thinking that the land belonged to gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed. Atiq ahmed was killed in 2023. The apex court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Zulfiqar Haider, professor Ali ahmed and others whose houses were demolished. The allahabad High court had rejected their petition challenging the demolition of their houses.
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