The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against the Prayagraj Development Authority, ordering ₹10 lakh compensation each to five individuals whose homes were illegally demolished in 2021. The court emphasized that the right to shelter is a fundamental right and criticized the authorities for disregarding due process.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan rejected the Uttar Pradesh government’s argument that compensation was unnecessary since the victims were not poor. Attorney General R Venkataramani contended that the demolished structures were illegal, but the court stressed that procedural violations rendered the demolitions unlawful.
The houses, belonging to a lawyer, a professor, and others, were razed on March 7, 2021—just a day after notices were served. The court found this timeline shocking, as no effort was made to serve notices personally or via registered post. It warned that the practice of merely affixing notices to buildings must end.
The ruling set a benchmark for penalties against illegal demolitions, signaling that authorities must adhere to legal procedures. The court stated that actions like these “shock our conscience” and should never be repeated.
- Supreme Court to Hear Plea Against Alleged ‘Bulldozer Justice’
- Street Vendors Protest Bulldozer Evictions by MCC
#SupremeCourt #BulldozerJustice #RightToShelter #RuleOfLaw