'Bulldozer Justice' Case: Supreme Court Extends Stay On Demolitions — Today's Hearing Summed Up In Five Points

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (1 October) extended the stay on demolitions without its permission while excluding encroachments on public spaces from the scope of this order.

The hearing on 'bulldozer justice' resumed following an earlier session on 17 September, during which unauthorised bulldozer demolitions of private properties were halted nationwide.

Here's a summary of arguments made by various parties before the two-judge Supreme Court bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan:

1. States: Representing the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed his reservations over the court forming rules for eviction and demolition notices.

2. Petitioner: Representing petitioners, advocate C U Singh cited cases where the time gap between issuance of notice and the demolition was very less and urged for a longer time period.

3. Justice Viswanathan suggested that before the demolition, there can be videography so that if it goes to compensation, the court will know what kind of violation was there and why there should be restitution.

4. On notice: One petitioner argued that notice should be issued in newspaper so that it can't be backdated. To this, the bench said that registered posts can also be not backdated and an online portal can be maintained.

5. Bench: Throughout the hearing, the bench assured all the parties that whatever order will be issued, it will be for pan-India and secular and will ensure that the encroachers are not helped by it.