In a significant decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered to maintain the status quo in the ongoing demolition drive being carried out by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.
Hearing the petition, the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana ordered the authorities to maintain the status-quo on the demolition drive and not to continue with the demolition started by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation against encroachers.
We will follow the SC order & take action accordingly, says Raja Iqbal Singh the Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation after the Supreme Court ordered a status-quo on the demolition drive being conducted by the civic body in violence-hit Jahangirpuri, Delhi pic.twitter.com/gU8XqgcVvE
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2022
Supreme Court advocate Dushyant Dave mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana.
“Unconstitutional, unauthorised demolition is taking place in Jahangirpuri where riots took place. No notice was served, so that reply is served in 10 days,” Dave said.
The petitioners had claimed that there was an increase in incidents of demolition of properties by government administration in several states, including the recent incident from Madhya Pradesh, as a punitive measure towards people allegedly involved in criminal incidents such as riots.
“A number of ministers and legislators, including the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh, have made statements advocating such acts and especially threatened the minority groups with the destruction of their homes and commercial properties in case of riots,” the petition said.
In response, the Court said it would list the case tomorrow and directed the status quo.
A public interest litigation petition (PIL) was filed by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind seeking directions to the Central and State governments that no residential accommodation or commercial property be demolished as a punitive measure was also mentioned before the CJI.
Earlier on Wednesday, the NMDC had started its anti-encroachment drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area amid a heavy police presence. Many bulldozers had started bringing down illegal structures, shops and other encroachments.
#WATCH | Delhi Police take stock of the situation in Jahangirpuri which witnessed violence on April 16 during a religious procession pic.twitter.com/rHlxA62wZ6
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2022
The NMDC had requested over 400 personnel from the Delhi police to carry out the anti-encroachment drive in the Jahangirpuri area. The area had witnessed severe violence on April 16 when a Hindu procession on Hanuman Jayanti was attacked with stones, bottles and gunshots by a Muslim mob.
As per the latest updates, though the SC has ordered a status quo, the order is yet to reach NMDC. So the demolition drive is continuing. Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh has stated that the drive will be halted when they receive the order.
