Hundreds Displaced Amid Alleged Unlawful Demolitions: Zila Parishad Member Seeks High Court Intervention

A member of the Zila Parishad in Nuh has lodged a submission in the Punjab and Haryana High Court claiming that more than 300 families from numerous villages in the strife-stricken district have left their homes to relocate to Rajasthan and other states. This exodus follows the Haryana government's campaign to demolish structures it alleges are illegal.

The applicant, Yahooda Mohd, has entered an intervention plea in the high court's independent action against the purported unlawful demolitions in Haryana. Mohd detailed that during the three-day operation, the district administration dismantled over 200 residences.

Mohd underscored that his aim is to draw attention to the challenges faced by those whose houses were razed, emphasizing the lack of rehabilitation efforts. He stressed that over 300 families have been adversely affected by the campaign. They have not received temporary housing arrangements post-demolition. Allegedly, some families did not receive any notification, while others were given backdated notices. Adding to the difficulties, there is a shortage of water and food. Mohd voiced concerns about what he perceived as the targeting of a specific community.

The plea also mentioned that more than 300 families have abandoned their homes in various villages, choosing to relocate to Rajasthan and other states. Mohd accused the police of initiating arrests without proper notice. He stated that a local council decided to boycott members of the Muslim community, urging others to refrain from renting out houses, shops, and establishments to them. The communities also purportedly began scrutinizing identification documents of street vendors entering the villages across three districts.

Mohd contended that the house demolitions occurred without proper notice and without providing alternative accommodations, contravening the 1985 Supreme Court ruling in Olga Tellis versus Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay. He argued that such actions violated the constitutionally guaranteed Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, as individuals evicted from their dwellings would likely lose their livelihoods.

Acting on behalf of the affected residents, Yahooda sought the intervention of the high court, alleging that the respondents violated constitutional and legal rights. He claimed that the respondents forcibly evicted long-standing inhabitants of Nalhar and other regions in Mewat-Nuh, neglecting proper legal procedures and principles of natural justice, despite these houses having served as shelters for generations.

Yahooda mentioned that over 50 families had lived in residences within the Nalhar area for a minimum of three decades. These households had acquired necessary documents such as electricity connections, ration cards, voter ID cards, and Aadhaar cards through official government channels, providing concrete evidence of their presence over many years.

In response to this situation, the high court, on Monday, initiated action on its own accord and inquired whether a specific community's properties were being singled out under the guise of maintaining law and order, thereby raising concerns of potential ethnic cleansing. A Division Bench consisting of Justices G S Sandhawalia and Harpreet Kaur Jeewan pointed out that any ongoing demolition should be stopped if proper legal procedures are not being adhered to.