Bulldozer Action: Contempt Petition Dismissed, Affected People Can Come to Court

The Supreme Court said on Thursday that people affected by bulldozer action can come to court.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a petition accusing officials of contempt of court in cases of demolition in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, P.K. Mishra, and K.V. Viswanathan said that the petitioner is not directly or indirectly related to the case, and therefore, the petition will not be considered. However, the court clarified that people affected by bulldozer action can come to court.

The petitioner’s lawyer alleged that despite the Supreme Court’s order, officials in Haridwar, Jaipur, and Kanpur demolished properties. The petitioner said that the Supreme Court had clearly stated in its order that no demolition would be carried out without its permission, but officials in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan disobeyed the court’s order. The petitioner’s lawyer alleged that in one case, a property was demolished immediately after an FIR was registered.

Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said that the petitioner is a third party and does not have knowledge of the facts. The officials only removed encroachment from footpaths. The Supreme Court had ordered on September 17 that no demolition would be carried out without its permission across the country. This order does not apply to public roads, footpaths, railway lines, and water bodies with illegal constructions.