The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the status quo, thus halting the demolition effort by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in Jahangirpuri, northwest Delhi, which had been rocked by rioting on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti earlier in the month. The subject was raised before Chief Justice NV Ramana by senior counsel Dushyant Dave, Kapil Sibal, PV Surendranath, and Prashant Bhushan. In light of the fact that Dushyant Dave said that the demolition campaign in riot-hit Jahangirpuri was absolutely unlawful and that no notice was provided to anybody, the CJI directed that the status quo be maintained. “Let the matter be taken up tomorrow with the other matter,” the Chief Justice of India ordered.
When the Supreme Court heard a petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against the use of bulldozers to demolish the homes of riot-accused in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, the matter of Jahangirpuri was brought up for urgent consideration before Chief Justice Dipak Mistry. Dave further said that the destruction of the Jahangirpuri building was originally slated to commence at 2pm, but that since the issue was set to be heard by the Supreme Court, the drive began at 9am.
The issue of the destruction of Jahangirpuri was also raised at the Delhi high court, with lawyers claiming that the occupants had not been given prior notice and that some of them were not even present at their homes. According to the attorney, the demolition campaign should be halted till 2pm before the Delhi high court. The judge agreed. In a ruling issued today, a two-judge panel consisting of acting chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla permitted the listing of the petition and directed the Additional solicitor general (ASG) to be prepared with directions. During the hearing, the court inquired as to whether this is an infringement on public property and, if so, if it is unlawful. Furthermore, the Delhi High Court panel inquired as to whether the location in question is a designated “Jhuggi Cluster.”
Demotion drives in the Jahangirpuri region have been set for Wednesday and Thursday by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is governed by the BJP. The Delhi Police had been requested to provide 400 officers to the municipal body for the campaign.
The deployment of strong police and paramilitary troops in Jahangirpuri, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday morning was part of preparations for the downgrading drive. In the morning, Usha Rangnani, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for the North West, along with other police officers, conducted an inspection of the area.
Due to the fact that the Supreme Court ruling was issued shortly after the demolition campaign started, NDMC Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said that the order will be obeyed and that the required action would be done. NDMC Commissioner Sanjay Goel stated that the civic body will first review the order and then act in accordance with its provisions.
Dushyant Dave brought up the subject again about an hour after the Supreme Court’s decision, this time protesting that the demolition campaign had not been halted. The Chief Justice then directed the Supreme Court registry to send the stay order to the mayor, commissioner, and commissioner of Delhi police.
According to a video message posted on Twitter by MLA Amanatullah Khan, destruction of homes of a specific group just for the purpose of harassing them during the holy month of Ramadan under the guise of an anti-encroachment effort would further deteriorate the mood in the neighborhood.
He pleaded with the home minister and other BJP leaders not to resort to such drastic measures, noting that the environment in the nation has already been tainted.
Communal violence erupted in a north Delhi neighborhood on the evening of Saturday, April 16, as a Hindutva procession purportedly tried to raise a saffron flag in front of a nearby mosque, according to reports. In the course of the conflicts, there was stone-pelting and arson, according to the police, and several cars were also set on fire.
Edited By: Vanshika Sahu
Published By: Mohammed Anees
