Petitioners Allege Unlawful Demolition of Homes as Extra-Judicial Punishment
Two petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court, urging the Central government and State authorities to cease the use of bulldozing homes and shops as an extra-legal punitive measure against individuals accused of criminal offenses. Rashid Khan from Rajasthan and Mohammad Hussain from Madhya Pradesh, whose homes were demolished by State administrations, have brought forth the pleas, which were mentioned before a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan on Friday by Senior Advocate CU Singh and advocate Fauzia Shakil. The Bench has agreed to hear the matter on September 2.
Khan, a 60-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Udaipur, stated that his home was demolished by the Udaipur district administration on August 17, 2024, following communal clashes in the area. The tensions erupted after a Muslim schoolboy, allegedly his son, stabbed a Hindu classmate, leading to the latter’s death. In retaliation, the district administration bulldozed Khan’s home in what he claims was an illegal and arbitrary act carried out under the pretext of “Bulldozer Justice.”
Similarly, Mohammad Hussain from Madhya Pradesh also alleged that his home and shop were unjustly bulldozed by the State administration.
These applications have been filed under the broader case initially raised by Jamiat Ulama I Hind, which opposed the demolition of Muslim homes in Haryana’s Nuh district following the communal violence between Hindus and Muslims earlier this year.
(With inputs from agency)
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