By Maktoob
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a batch of contempt petitions alleging that authorities violated its November 2024 “bulldozer justice” judgment by carrying out demolitions without following the prescribed safeguards, holding that such disputes should be adjudicated by the respective High Courts, Live Law reported.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana said the petitions involved disputed questions of fact that could not be resolved in contempt proceedings before the Supreme Court.
The Court accordingly transferred the matters to the concerned High Courts, while leaving all issues open for adjudication.
The Bench observed that the petitioners alleged violations of the safeguards laid down in the Supreme Court’s landmark November 2024 judgment, whereas the authorities maintained that the demolitions were carried out after following due process and were legally justified.
Holding that these conflicting claims required factual determination, the Court directed the High Courts to examine the cases, call for relevant records, and, if necessary, record evidence through the district courts.
The Supreme Court clarified that it had expressed no opinion on the merits of the allegations. It also ordered that the interim protection granted in the cases would continue until the High Courts decide the matters, while permitting the parties to seek modification of those interim orders before the respective High Courts.
Supreme Court’s landmark November 13, 2024 judgment on so-called “bulldozer justice”, in which the Court held that demolishing homes or properties as a punitive measure against persons accused of crimes violates the Constitution and the principles of due process.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
