The Supreme Court on Thursday, July 27, pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government as they opposed the bail of a man accused of bulldozing the house of a family, who lived on the land of an orphanage, in Rampur.
The court was hearing a petition challenging the Allahabad HC’s decision to cancel bail for Fasahat Ali Khan. He has also been accused of looting Rs 20,000 from the victims.
According to the Telegraph Online, in the case from 2016, the bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul pulled up the UP government, represented by the state’s additional advocate Ravindra Kumar Raizada, stating, “So, Mr Raizada, now you agree that bulldozing houses is a wrongful act! That means then you will not follow the principle of bulldozing houses.”
“Should we then record your statement that you are now saying that bulldozing of houses is wrong because you have just now argued that bulldozing houses is wrong?” added the bench.
The apex court was referring to the Yogi-led BJP government’s action of bulldozing “illegal homes” of people facing “criminal” charges, which also earned the CM the label “Bulldozer Baba”.
The act, on several occasions, has been condemned by the Opposition and activists for targetting minorities and critics of the administration.
The act of bulldozing the homes of the accused, a majority of whom are minorities, has been replicated by states led by the BJP.
“Your Lordships, my prayer is limited to this case. This is my brief, I do not want to exceed that,” Raizada replied.
The accused in this case, Khan, challenged the cancellation of bail by a single Allahabad High Court judge on February 16, 2023. He also argued that multiple FIRs were politically motivated and Allahabad High Court erroneously cancelled bail.
The Supreme Court set aside the high court order and restored the original order, granting bail to Khan.
Pertinently, the Jamiat and CPM leader Brinda Karat filed PILs against Delhi municipal authorities’ use of bulldozers in Jahangirpuri, Delhi, to demolish houses of minority community members during communal riots during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.
