New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said no demolition exercise in the country should take place without its permission. Halting “bulldozer justice” till October 1, when it will next hear the matter, the court said even if there is one instance of illegal demolition, it is against the ethos of the Constitution.
However, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan clarified that its order will not apply to unauthorized structures on public roads, footpaths, water bodies, and railway tracks. “Even if there is one instance of an illegal demolition… it is against the ethos of our Constitution,” the bench observed.
The court also waved away Mr Mehta’s suggestion it had been influenced by a “narrative”, pointing out “even if there is one instance of illegal demolition, it is against the ethos of the Constitution”.
“The ‘narrative’ is not influencing us. We made it clear that we won’t (stop) demolition of unauthorised construction… but the executive can’t be a ‘judge’ (of what is illegal),” the Supreme Court said, saying, once again, that it will also lay down guidelines to identify potentially illegal constructions.
The court – hearing petitions against those whose homes had been bulldozed – also said its order is not applicable to removing encroachments in public spaces like roads, railway tracks, and water bodies.
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