NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition against the ongoing demolition drive in Gurugram and asked the petitioners to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi disposed of the plea, granting liberty to the petitioners to make an urgent mention before the HC.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan verbally mentioned the matter this morning before the bench and submitted that the demolitions are already underway and claimed that the action was proceeding without the issuance of any mandatory show-cause notice.
The senior lawyer further claimed that the authorities have started the demolition process by misconstruing an interim order passed by the HC. He asserted that these are legal constructions. Hearing these submissions, the court said, “But these are unauthorised constructions. If the HC is doing its constitutional duty as the apex body, why should we cause hindrance?”.
The petition was filed by residents of Sector 31, Gurugram, challenging an interim order of the Punjab and Haryana HC that imposed a blanket stay on the construction policy.
The petitioners asserted that the authorities have “weaponised” the stay to bypass statutory procedures and initiate city-wide anti-encroachment actions without notice or adjudication. They said the order has been misused and is affecting thousands of residents.