Cannot Demolish Houses Overnight with Bulldozers

Cannot Demolish Houses Overnight with Bulldozers
Supreme Court rebukes UP for forceful demolition of homes for road widening.
The Supreme Court has reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh government for using bulldozers to demolish homes for road widening without prior notice. The Court emphasized that authorities cannot suddenly demolish buildings without following due process, especially at night. The Court ordered the state to pay an interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to the affected individual.
The bench, comprising Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice J.B. Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, issued the directive during a hearing on a petition regarding a property in Maharaj Ganj that was demolished in 2019 for road widening. The petitioner, Manoj Tiwari, claimed that his house was demolished without any prior notice.
The Court outlined a proper procedure for road-widening projects, highlighting that residents must be informed in advance. A national human rights report indicated that bulldozer demolitions had been carried out without due process, which the Supreme Court found highly objectionable.
The Court directed the authorities to ensure that adequate notice is given to residents before initiating demolition work. If the demolition proceeds without following the proper process, the Court warned that strict actions would be taken. The Supreme Court ordered the authorities to submit a compliance report within a specified timeframe.
In response to the case in Maharaj Ganj, where the petitioner’s property was allegedly demolished illegally, the Court ordered the state to pay an interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to the affected individual.