The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the punitive demolitions of structures continuing to take place in the state despite the Supreme Court’s November 2024 decision in ‘Bulldozer Justice’.
The Court expressed strong displeasure and made sharp remarks while hearing a petition filed by petitioners from Hamirpur seeking protection of their properties from bulldozer action.
The remarks were made by a division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Siddharth Nandan while hearing a petition filed by Faimuddin and two others.
The petitioners have sought judicial intervention from the court to prevent the potential destruction of their properties. Hearing the case, the High Court observed that punitive demolitions are continuing in UP despite the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The court stated that it has witnessed several cases where, immediately after a crime is committed, a demolition notice is issued to those occupying a residential property. Subsequently, the property is demolished under the guise of fulfilling legal requirements.
The court, citing the Supreme Court’s judgment, said that demolitions are continuing despite the order, even though the Supreme Court had upheld the principle that punitive demolition of structures is violative of the separation of powers, as the authority to punish is vested with the judiciary.