NO DEMOLITION in Jahangirpuri For Another 2 Weeks: SC | Here’s What Transpired In The Court

Jahangirpuri Demolition Drive: No demolitions in Jahangirpuri until further orders. Supreme Court orders status quo on Jahangirpuri demolitions.

New Delhi: Extending the status quo until further orders, the Supreme Court on Thursday halted the anti-encroachment drive in the violence-hit Jahangirpuri area following a petition by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, which claimed the buildings of the Muslim riots accused are being razed. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai issued notice to the Centre and others and said it will take a serious view of the demolition on Wednesday, which was carried out even after its orders though the NDMC Mayor was informed.  “Status quo to be maintained till further order…List after two weeks and pleadings to be completed till then,” the court ordered.

Jahangirpuri Demolition Drive: Here’s What Transpired in The Court During Hearing

1. No demolitions in Jahangirpuri until further orders. Supreme Court ordered status quo on Jahangirpuri demolitions.
2. Supreme Court issued notice to authorities.  “We will take a serious view of the demolition which was carried out even after supreme court orders even after NDMC Mayor was informed. we will take that up later”, said the court.
3. Representing petitioners, senior Advocate Dave said police and civil authorities are bound by the Constitution and not by letters written by a BJP leader and this is a sad scenario.
4. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal says encroachments are a serious issue but the issue is that Muslims are being associated with encroachments He adds that such instances are also happening in other States.
5. Reacting to allegations that one particular community was targeted by the demolition, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said more Hindu than Muslim homes were demolished in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone earlier this month.
6. “A number of ministers and legislators, including the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh, have made statements advocating such acts and especially threatened the minority groups with the destruction of their homes and commercial properties in case of riots. Resorting to such measures/ actions is clearly against our constitutional ethos and the criminal justice system, as also in violation of the rights of accused persons,” said the plea by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.

The hearing comes a day after bulldozers tore down several concrete and temporary structures close to a mosque in Jahangirpuri on Wednesday as part of an anti-encroachment drive by the BJP-ruled civic body, days after the northwest Delhi neighbourhood was rocked by communal violence. A double-storey scrap dealer’s shop was also razed to the ground. For the unversed, the Supreme Court on Wednesday intervened twice to stop the drive after it took cognizance of the petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against the demolition.