Supreme Court Rules Against Collective Punishment In Property Demolitions

The Executive cannot replace the Judiciary and legal process should not prejudge guilt of an accused, the Supreme Court said today, taking a tough stand on the issue of 'bulldozer justice' and laying down guidelines for carrying out demolition.
The bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan delivered its judgment on petitions challenging bulldozer action against people accused of crimes. This trend, which caught on in several states, is referred to as 'bulldozer justice'. State authorities have, in the past, said only illegal structures were demolished in such cases. But several petitions were filed before the court, flagging the extrajudicial nature of the action.