SC orders status quo on Jahangirpuri demolitions

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa | Date 21-04-2022
Demolitions inn Jahangirpuri
Demolitions inn Jahangirpuri

 

 
New Delhi
 
Supreme Court has ordered the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to maintain the “status quo” in its demolition drive against encroachers in Jahangirpuri, northwest Delhi, following clashes between two groups of people on Hamunam Jayanti.
 
The court has listed the hearing on the petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-I Hind against the demolitions after two weeks.
 
The Court said it would take a serious view of the demolition that took place after information about the court staying the demolitions was given to the Mayor on Wednesday when the demolitions were going on in Jahangirpuri on Wednesday.
 
Tushar Mehta Solicitor general told the court that notices were issued to people in Jahangirpuri and also in other parts of the country.
 
According to Live Law, Mehta told the court that  “This has become a pattern, whenever an issue arises instead of individuals coming in, organization file petition and entire spectrum jumps in.”
 
He also claimed that the allegations about demolitions targeting any particular community were wrong.  T
the court however refused to give an order on other cases of demolitions in the country saying “allegation that one community is targeted is incorrect. In MP, Khargaon has become the topic of all debates. 88 affected parties are Hindus, I’m sorry I’ve to bifurcate them, Govt doesn’t want to, I’m being compelled to.”
 
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned another petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against the alleged actions taken by authorities in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat against the accused. 
 
The plea seeks a declaration that the properties of the accused cannot be demolished as a punitive measure as such punishment is unknown to criminal law. Also, there is no due process and fair trial given before the demolition of houses, the petitioner states.