New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh government to follow rules while carrying out further demolitions in the state. The petition also sought strict action against officials indulging in unlawful demolition.
The petition, filed by Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, was filed in connection with the recent demolitions of buildings deemed illegal by the state administration, including the home of Javed Mohammad – a leader with the Welfare Party of India.
Javed Mohammad's house was razed on Sunday by the district development authority in Prayagraj that has claimed the building had been illegally constructed and that he had not appeared for hearings after notices issued in May. His lawyers, however, said the family only received a copy of the notice late on Saturday, the night before the demolition, and that the building was owned by his wife and not him.
A day earlier, a multi-storey building allegedly owned by a close aide of one of the key accused in the June 3 violence in Kanpur was demolished.
The plea said that the adoption of such extra-legal measures is clearly in violation of the principles of natural justice, especially when the court is hearing the present matter.
"It is pertinent to note that in the present matter this Hon'ble Court ordered the stay of demolitions that were being carried out as a punitive measure in Northwest Delhi in similar circumstances. Hence, considering that the captioned matter is currently pending before this Hon'ble Court, restoring such measures is even more alarming.
Violence broke out in several areas of the state after protesters took to the streets against the controversial comments by two former BJP leaders against Prophet Muhammad. Nupur Sharma was suspended from the party while another spokesman, Naveen Kumar Jindal, expelled over their remarks.
The organisation had earlier filed the plea on the issue of demolition of buildings in the Jahangirpuri area of Delhi.
The Supreme Court had issued notice to the centre and others on the issue of demolition of buildings in the violence-hit Jahangirpuri area on the plea filed by the organisation that claimed that buildings of Muslim riots accused are being razed.