Despite the Supreme Court’s order restraining bulldozer action across the country, the authorities in Chandausi in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal on Wednesday bulldozed twelve shops calling them illegal.
The Supreme Court on November 13 put restrictions to stop the bulldozer justice by the authorities and ruled that properties cannot be bulldozed solely on the ground that they belong to an accused in a crime. The Court also mandated that a 15-day notice should be served to the tenants who also have the right to challenge the demolition order if they deem it unjust.
The shops demolished by the municipal team stood in front of BMG Inter-College at Sambhal gate in Chandausi. Some shops were also demolished in the Kotwali area of Chandausi on the same allegations that they were illegally built.
The demolition drive that was already happening in Chandausi was stopped due to the violence. Chandausi Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Neetu Rani stated “Encroachments were temporarily stopped due to the tense atmosphere but we have now resumed the drives to maintain law and order in the district.”
Although the opposition parties and Muslim leaders criticized the actions of authorities alleging that bulldozer action is meant to target a particular community under the pretext of maintaining law and order, the BJP has defended the operations.
These demolitions came after the recovery of cartridges made in Pakistan and the United States were discovered.
The Superintendent of Police, Krishan Kumar Vishnoi said that some CCTVs were broken when the violence occurred and the police are looking for their DVRs (digital video recorders).
“A team of police will search in the area on Wednesday again,” the SP had confirmed earlier.
