The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticized the Uttar Pradesh government over the illegal demolition of houses for road widening purposes.
The court has described the act as “high-handed”. Apart from slamming the act, the apex court has also ordered the state government to provide interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the petitioner whose house was demolished.
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A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has ordered a disciplinary inquiry into the actions of the officers involved. “How can you just enter someone’s home and demolish it without following due process or serving notice?” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud questioned the UP government.
“You can’t come with bulldozer and demolish the house overnight,” remarked the bench while hearing the matter about demolition, which took place in 2019 for the road widening project.
Meanwhile, the UP government had requested an adjournment, but CJI Chandrachud rejected the plea, stating that the court must evaluate the materials already submitted to assess the legality of the demolition.
Chief Justice noted that the demolition had been conducted without prior notice, leaving the occupants uninformed about the basis of the destruction. “This demolition was carried out without the authority of law,” he stated.
The apex court has also clarified that the UP government must adhere to specific procedural steps before demolishing for road widening.
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The court had mandated disciplinary action against any officer found responsible, including contractors involved in the illegal demolitions.
While placing the order, the court noted serious procedural lapses in the state’s actions. The UP government had failed to provide documentation that shows the original width of the state highway, details of any inquiry into alleged encroachments, or evidence that the required land was legally acquired before the demolition.
