India's Supreme Court has declared illegal the practice of demolishing the homes of people accused or convicted of crimes. This phenomenon, called “bulldozer justice”, was most often carried out by decision of local authorities, but it aroused many emotions in society.
Supreme Court judgment India fell on Wednesday. It emphasized that arbitrary decisions by state authorities to demolish the houses of people convicted of or merely accused of committing a crime are unlawful. According to the court, local authorities “cannot be judges and destroy property. The blood-curdling sight of a bulldozer demolishing a building reminds us of lawlessness in which the strong are right.”
Bulldozer justice
The court's decision is a reaction to many petitions in recent years in which the authors demanded action against the Indian state authorities. They ordered the demolition of buildings as punishment against people accused or convicted of crimes.
The practice of demolishing houses was used especially in states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist Indian People's Party (BJP). The party claimed that the demolished properties violated local law, and the practice was hailed as “instant bulldozer justice.” Critics, however, believed that there was no legal basis for such action, and the practice was primarily aimed at representatives of the Muslim minority.
In the judgment issued on Wednesday, the court also announced guidelines for lawful demolitions. It obliged the state authorities to notify property owners in advance of planned demolition, so that people living there would have time to challenge the order or leave the building. It was also ordered to record the demolition process. – It is not a pleasant sight to see women, children and the elderly dragged out onto the streets overnight, it said.
Main photo source: RAJAT GUPTA/PAP