Supreme Court stops bulldozer action, says no unauthorised demolition till next hearing on October 1

Bulldozer actions: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 17) directed that no demolition of property anywhere in India will take place without the permission of the court till October 1, the next date of hearing but clarified that this order will not be applicable to any unauthorised construction on public roads, footpaths, among others.

Supreme Court raps authorities for 'bulldozer justice'

Earlier on September 12, the apex court made a strong observation on 'bulldozer justice' while hearing a petition of a person from Gujarat. The Supreme Court said a bulldozer cannot be run on a person's house just because he is an accused in a case.

"It is the court's job to decide whether the accused is guilty or not. This country is ruled by law, a person's mistake cannot be punished by taking action against his family or demolishing his house," the apex court asserted.

The top court said that the court cannot ignore such bulldozer action. Allowing such action to happen would be like running a bulldozer on the rule of law, it added. The court of Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Justice Sudhashu Dhulia and Justice SVN Bhatti made these comments during the hearing the petition.

What was the matter?

A person named Javed Ali from Gujarat filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying that due to an FIR against a member of his family, he has been given a notice by the Municipal Corporation to demolish his house.

The Supreme Court put a stay on the demolition of the house. The court has issued a notice to the state government and the Municipal Corporation, ordering to maintain the status quo for the time being.