The Supreme Court on Monday made critical remarks against the so-called bulldozer justice and said that a property cannot be demolished just because it belongs to a person accused of a crime. The court said that even if the person is found guilty, his property cannot be demolished.
While hearing petitions filed against frequent bulldozing/demolition actions by authorities on houses of those accused of serious crimes, the court said that even if the person is guilty, the property cannot be demolished. However, the Supreme Court clarified that it will not protect any illegal structure obstructing public roads.
The Supreme Court asked the authorities how can a person’s house be demolished just because he is an accused. The court said that it proposes to lay down guidelines on the issue. “Even if he is guilty, it cannot be done without following the procedure prescribed by law,” a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan said on the petitions against the demolition action. “We propose to lay down some guidelines on an all India basis so that the concerns raised on the issues can be taken care of,” the bench said.