Nuh district received a breather after the High Court of Punjab and Haryana issued a stay order on the ongoing demolition in the areas on Monday, August 7.
The petition against the district administration’s move to demolish ‘illegal’ construction was filed by three advocates.
A bench of Justice GS Sandhawalia took suo moto cognisance of the demolitions in Nuh following the communal clashes and asked the government not to carry out any demolitions till further orders.
It has been alleged that the demolition of ‘illegal structures’ were taking place without any notice to the occupants.
A large number of migrant workers (mainly Muslims) and small-scale business people suffered a huge loss of property after shacks and shops were targeted by violent mobs during the religious communal clash that began on July 31.
Soon after the High Court’s order, Nuh deputy commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata directed his officials to stop the demolition drive.
Over 700 structures destroyed
According to reports, more than 700 structures, including small business shops, and shacks of migrant workers were demolished in the last four days. While Muslims suffered in the majority, many small-scale Hindu business persons also faced damages.
The previous day, a three-storey hotel named Sahara Family Restaurant was razed down in the name of alleged illegal construction. Officials believe that the violence in which six were killed began after some people pelted stones at a religious procession from the restaurant.
Demolition drive started soon after communal violence broke out in Nuh district after stone pelting was reported during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad-led shobha yatra. Six people, including a 19-year-old imam and two home guards, died.
Many Hindu participants took shelter in a nearby temple trying to escape the violence. However, right-wing Twitter accounts created fake news stating many Hindu women who took refuge in the temple were kidnapped and raped by Muslims.
This claim was shot down by Haryana’s additional director general of police (ADGP) Mamta Singh who termed the information as rumours.
“A narrative is going on social media since yesterday that the day the devotees were stuck at Nalhar Mandir, gruesome crimes like rape occurred with a few women devotees there during this. I would like to tell you that this is false, a complete rumour,” Mamata Singh told the reporters.
The violence soon spread to neighbouring Faridabad, Sohna and Gurugram districts. Internet services have been suspended till August 8 and prohibitory orders of Section 144 were issued to curb further violence.
7-day ultimatum to cops
A ‘mahapanchayat’ held in Tigri village on Sunday demanded the release of the youngster arrested in connection with the killing of an Imam on August 1, giving the administration a seven-day ultimatum.
The panchayat also demanded the removal of the Anjuman mosque in Sector 57 since the area is Hindu-dominated.
Despite the implementation of Section 144, people from more than 100 nearby villages participated.
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