The Allahabad High Court has given relief to residents of Hatim Sarai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district after the local administration issued demolition notices to 80 houses, including the residence of Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq.
According to reports, the district administration had claimed that the houses were illegally built on eight bighas of government pond land. Notices were sent to the homeowners, asking them to submit land ownership documents within 15 days. The administration also warned that if the documents were not submitted, bulldozers would be brought in to demolish the structures.
Challenging the order, residents of Hatim Sarai filed a petition in the High Court. In response, the court put a stay on the demolition for four weeks and directed the homeowners to present their land documents before the tehsil administration within that period.
The High Court’s decision has brought immense relief to the villagers. Speaking to the media, many residents expressed gratitude and said their “prayers had been answered.” One resident said, “Ever since the administration issued the bulldozer warning, we couldn’t sleep at night. Now, we finally have some peace.”
Reacting to the administration’s claim, MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq denied that the houses were built on government land. “The administration’s claim is false. These houses were built on private agricultural land owned by the people,” he said.
