Pleas relating to demolition drive of accused properties will be heard in September: SC
Jul 10, 2023
New Delhi [India], July 10 : The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will hear the pleas relating to the demolition drive of the properties of the accused persons across the country in September.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala listed the matter for hearing in September. The court was hearing Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind and other petitions against the demolition drive.
During the hearing, the court sought to know whether the petitions survive yet.
Responding to the court's query, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave said, "These days it is becoming a fashion and raised questions on the need of demolishing the house of a person in Madhya Pradesh who urinated on a tribal. Senior Advocate Dave blamed the BJP and said that they are targeting people from minority communities."
However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised an objection and apprised the court that people from the majority community were also found encroaching on the areas.
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind had moved the Supreme Court against employing bulldozers to raze down the houses of persons suspected to be involved in criminal incidents such as violence.
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has urged the Supreme Court to issue appropriate directions to the Centre and state governments that no lasting *precipitative action* be taken against any accused in any criminal proceedings and issue directions that residential accommodation cannot be demolished as a punitive measure.
In its petition, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind said that recently there has been an increase in the incidents of demolition of residential and commercial properties by government administration in several states as a punitive measure towards persons purportedly involved in criminal incidents such as riots.
In a separate application, the organisation Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind has sought to issue directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh that no precipitative action be taken in Kanpur District against the residential or commercial property of any accused in any criminal proceedings as an extra-legal punitive measure.
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, in its application, also sought to issue directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that any demolition exercise of any nature must be carried out strictly in accordance with applicable laws, and only after due notice and opportunity of hearing is given to each of the affected persons.
