SC to hear plea next week against demolition notices for certain properties at Jamia Nagar

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear next week a plea against proposed demolitions of certain alleged illegal properties at Jamia Nagar in the national capital. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih initially asked the lawyer to approach the Delhi High Court against the notices for demolition issued by the civic authorities. “Go to the high court,” the CJI said. There was an order of this court that a 15-day prior notice was needed, the lawyer said. “But here a notice pasted and it says we should evict. Notice pasted on May 26,” the lawyer said, adding that there has been no hearing. “If this can be heard then we may have some recourse,” he said.

The bench then agreed to list the plea for hearing next week. Recently, authorities have issued demolition notices to several houses in the Jamia Nagar area of Delhi's Okhla, citing encroachment on land belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department. The notices, dated May 22 and pasted on affected properties, said, “Everyone is informed that encroachment has been done in Okhla, Khizerbaba Colony, belonging to the Irrigation Control Department of Uttar Pradesh.The houses and shops on this land are illegal and should be removed in the next 15 days.” The move follows a May 8 directive by the Supreme Court asking the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to carry out demolition of unauthorised structures in Okhla village in accordance with the law.