Supreme Court Upholds Lawful Demolition Practices Amid Contempt Allegations

The Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea alleging contempt of its order concerning demolition activities in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The court suggested that only directly affected individuals should approach it, reiterating that demolitions should not be carried out without its explicit permission.

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, dismissed a plea alleging contempt against authorities in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh for demolishing properties. A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra, and K V Viswanathan stated that the plea, filed by an unrelated petitioner, could not be entertained.

The petitioner claimed that properties were demolished in violation of the court’s earlier orders prohibiting such actions without permission. However, the bench emphasized that affected individuals should directly file their grievances with the court. The counsel for the petitioner highlighted incidents in Haridwar, Jaipur, and Kanpur as examples of contempt.

Despite these allegations, the Additional Solicitor General argued that the petitioner was misinformed and not directly impacted. The court reaffirmed its interim order prohibiting demolitions until further notice, pending the creation of comprehensive national guidelines.