NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended its earlier order of stay on demolitions across the country without prior permission of the top court, and also reserved its order on laying down a pan- India directives or Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs).
A two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice B R Gavai and also comprising Justice K V Vishwanathan, said that merely because a person is an accused or even a convict, so it can’t be a ground for demolition of their property. “It is no ground to demolish the property of a person, merely he/ she is accused in some case,” it said.
Justice Gavai, heading the bench, clearly said that its directions will apply to pan-India, irrespective of the religion, in this regard with respect to the demolition of the accused person’s properties. “We are a secular country. Whatever directions will be passed, will apply pan-India irrespective of the religion, for all the citizens,” the apex court said.
The petitioners — Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and others — had moved the top court seeking appropriate directions to various state governments, including that of Uttar Pradesh, to ensure no further demolition of properties of those accused in cases of rioting and violence takes place.
While hearing the batch of petitions, the apex court highlighted that its directions for bulldozer action and anti-encroachment drives will be for all citizens, irrespective of the religion they follow. “Whether it be temple or dargah, it has to go. Public safety is paramount,” the top court bench said in its order on Tuesday.
This story was originally published in newindianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
