The Nagpur civic chief, Abhijeet Chaudhari, on Wednesday issued an unconditional apology to the Bombay High Court for demolishing houses of riots accused allegedly involved in the Nagpur violence, reported the PTI.
In an affidavit filed before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday, Chaudhari explained that civic officials were unaware of the Supreme Court’s guidelines concerning the demolition of properties linked to accused individuals in such cases.
Chaudhari further stated that the NMC had not received any official circular from the Maharashtra government outlining the apex court`s directions on the matter.
The Supreme Court had earlier mandated procedural safeguards before the demolition of properties associated with those accused of riots, and Chaudhari admitted that the NMC’s actions were carried out without knowledge of these crucial directives.
According to the PTI, the Nagpur civic authorities were reportedly unaware of the Supreme Court`s ruling that stipulated safeguards must be followed before demolishing the properties of individuals involved in riot cases. In his affidavit, Chaudhari explained that the NMC’s town planning department had also not been made aware of the Supreme Court`s decision, which had been communicated to the chief secretaries of states and Union Territories.
These chief secretaries were supposed to issue circulars to local authorities, informing them of the guidelines, but according to the NMC commissioner, no such communication had been received by Nagpur Municipal Corporation at the time of the demolitions.
The controversy stems from riots that occurred in Nagpur on March 17, following rumours regarding the burning of a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The protests were aimed at seeking the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Subsequently, two individuals – Fahim Khan, a key accused in the violence, and Yusuf Sheikh had their properties targeted for demolition.
On March 24, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court intervened, issuing a stay on the demolition of their homes. The court criticised the authorities for their high-handedness, particularly highlighting the demolition of Khan’s two storey house, which was razed before the court’s order was issued. The demolition of parts of Sheikh’s house was halted after the court’s intervention.
In his apology, Chaudhari acknowledged that the NMC had acted in contravention of the Supreme Court’s guidelines but emphasised that this was due to a lack of knowledge, not intentional malice. He further stated that neither the NMC nor its officers had acted with any ill intent but had followed the prevailing statutory provisions, such as those under the Slum Act of 1971, based on the information they had at the time.
The High Court has now granted the Maharashtra government two weeks to respond to the matter and provide clarification on the issue.
(With inputs from PTI)
