High Court issues stay order on notice to demolish 2000 houses in Burari

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court has issued a stay order on the notice to demolish around two thousand homes near Burari's Sangam Vihar and Jharoda village until the next hearing scheduled for February 20, 2024. Justice Anoop Jayaram Bambhani has restrained the Land and Building Department, NDPL, and DVB from taking any action until then.

The case involves Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey, who explained that the land in Sangam Vihar and Jharoda was allocated for refugees from Pakistan but remained unoccupied for some reason. Allegedly, land mafias subdivided the land and sold it as colonies. The court has now passed an order to evacuate the area. The Delhi government's Land and Building Department has issued notices to residents to vacate their homes by November 19, with the threat of demolitions and utility disconnections starting from November 20.

Following the notice, a large number of people caused traffic jams on Outer Ring Road. Heavy police deployment was observed at the scene. People accused political conspiracies, claiming that residents were settled there, provided with electricity connections, and voter ID cards under political agendas. The government has been trying to remove residents who have been living there for over 40 years. Protests resulted in jams on Pusta Road and later extended to Outer Ring Road, causing traffic disruptions throughout the afternoon.

However, Wazirabad-Timarpur Aam Aadmi Party leader Rakesh Arya urged people to refrain from political agitation and demonstrations, emphasizing that the resolution would come from the court. Subsequently, a petition was filed in the High Court, and the court has now restrained departments from demolishing homes and taking other actions until the next hearing.