"Demolitions Can't Be Retaliatory Measure": Supreme Court Notice To UP

The Supreme Court has asked for replies from the state government as well as the civic authorities of Prayagraj and Kanpur before taking up the case again next Tuesday.

The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the demolition of houses of those accused in recent violence in the state and said, "demolitions have to be in accordance with law, they cannot be retaliatory".

The Supreme Court has asked for replies from the state government as well as the civic authorities of Prayagraj and Kanpur before taking up the case again next Tuesday. "Everything should look fair...we expect the authorities to act only in accordance with law. Ensure safety so that nothing untoward happens," said the judges.

But the court did not put demolitions on hold, with the judges saying: "We can't stay demolitions. We can say go in accordance with law."

An organisation called the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind had approached the Supreme Court, asking it to act against officials responsible for what they called the "illegal" demolition of houses.