The Supreme Court today declined to entertain a petition concerning the Gujarat Authority’s bulldozer action case. The apex court also provided guidance to the petitioner regarding the matter. The petition sought contempt proceedings against Gujarat officials for allegedly violating court directives while carrying out demolitions. A bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih presided over the case and chose not to proceed with the hearing.
Asked to Approach the High Court
While refusing to hear the case, the Supreme Court advised the petitioner to seek relief from the appropriate High Court. The petition was filed to initiate contempt proceedings against state officials for allegedly disregarding the court’s instructions from a ruling dated November 13, 2024.
Details of the Petition
During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that the demolished structures were built on privately owned land. In response, the Supreme Court questioned why the petitioner had not approached the High Court instead. The bench emphasized that it would be challenging for the Supreme Court to oversee every individual case. The court made it clear that it was unwilling to proceed with the current petition, stressing that national-level guidelines had already been established.
In its previous ruling, the Supreme Court had prohibited the demolition of any structure without issuing a show cause notice and providing the affected parties with at least 15 days to respond.
Alleged Violation of Court Guidelines
According to the petition filed by the petitioner’s counsel, Parasnath Singh, officials from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation demolished three houses and a hut belonging to an accused individual without adhering to the due legal process. The petitioner alleged that the authorities disregarded the Supreme Court’s directives by carrying out the demolitions unlawfully.
Non-Compliance with Supreme Court Orders
The petitioner, a convener of the Minority Coordination Committee in Gujarat, asserted that the municipal authorities had failed to issue any prior notice before demolishing the structures. It was further claimed that the officials had directly contravened the Supreme Court’s instructions by carrying out the demolitions in Ahmedabad in December of the previous year.
Notably, in its ruling from November 2024, the Supreme Court had explicitly stated that demolitions should not be carried out within the timeframe prescribed by municipal laws or within 15 days of serving a notice, and must be preceded by a show cause notice. Despite this directive, the petitioner contended that Gujarat officials had acted in violation of these legal safeguards.
