New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up state governments over the practice of bulldozer justice, questioning how a house can be demolished only on the basis that it belongs to an accused in a criminal case.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave sought a direction from the court to ensure that ‘bulldozer justice’ is not meted out across the country.
Addressing a bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K.V. Viswanathan, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta argued that no immovable property should be demolished solely because the accused is involved in a criminal offense. “Such demolition can only occur if the structure is illegal,” the Centre’s counsel stated. Justice Gavai responded, “If you agree with this, we will issue guidelines accordingly. How can demolition be justified simply because someone is an accused or even a convict?”
Justice Viswanathan questioned why directions cannot be issued to prevent such cases. “First, there should be a notice, followed by time to respond, an opportunity to seek legal remedies, and only then should demolition proceed,” he suggested.
The bench emphasized that it is not defending illegal constructions but insisted, “There should be guidelines for demolition.”