The Supreme Court has directed a Maharashtra authority to respond to a man's plea for initiating contempt action against it after his properties were demolished for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a cricket match. The petitioner, who hails from Sindhudurg district in the state, claims his house and shop were demolished on February 24 following an FIR against him, his wife, and his 14-year-old son for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match. The plea argues that the demolition violated the Supreme Court's November 13, 2024 verdict on demolition of properties, which barred demolition without a prior showcause notice and 15 days' time for the aggrieved party to respond. The petitioner seeks directions for initiating contempt proceedings against the chief officer and administrator of the Malvan Municipal Council.
A body of advocates in Prayagaraj have e-mailed a petition to the Chief Justice of Allahabad high court against the demolition of a house of the alleged mastermind of the June 10 violence in the city by the Prayagraj Development Authority.
The apex court said it cannot pass an omnibus order preventing authorities from taking action.
The Haryana government on Friday rejected in the high court the suggestion that a demolition drive in violence-hit Nuh did not follow procedure and was an exercise in 'ethnic cleansing', as the bench hearing the case referred it to the chief justice's court.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it would hear after two weeks the petitions filed by Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and others seeking directions to various state governments to ensure that no further demolition of properties of alleged accused in rioting cases of violence is carried out.
The action was taken under a demolition drive, which will be carried out till March 9, officials said. It comes a month ahead of a G20 meeting planned to be hosted at the archaeological park in south Delhi.
In the wake of the Supreme Court order on razing of the illegal twin towers of Supertech, NOIDA CEO Ritu Maheshwari on Monday said the demolition process will begin on site within two weeks. She said NOIDA (also called the Noida Authority) has already convened a meeting on Wednesday at 12 noon in compliance with the apex court directives. The SC on Monday directed it to commence "within two weeks" the demolition of the realty major's twin 40-storey towers of its Emerald Court project in Sector 93A of the city.
The Bombay high Court on Friday initiated a judicial inquiry into the building collapse incident in Malwani area of Mumbai on Wednesday, which claimed 12 lives.
According to Hindu scriptures, Ganga Dussehra marks the day the holy river Ganga descended to Earth from Lord Shiva's locks, moved by King Bhagirath's penance. The day is considered highly auspicious and symbolises virtue, penance, and the collective well-being of humanity.
The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear after Dussehra vacation the pleas filed by Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and others seeking directions to various state governments to ensure no further demolition of properties of the accused in rioting cases is carried out.
Status quo to be maintained till further order..., the court said.
Nagarjuna in a post on 'X' said they had "not done any actions in violation of law" and the demolition was clearly carried out "wrongfully based on misinformation".
BJP and RSS leaders are once again pushing to remove the words 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Constitution's Preamble, showing a deeper effort to change India's identity from a diverse, multi-religious republic to a Hindu-first nation, even though they don't have the numbers in Parliament to officially change the Constitution, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'I represented India across the world, but here, in my own country, I was treated in this bad manner.' 'Everyone in Prayagraj respects me a lot and it is in this same city that I became homeless.'
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will lay down guidelines for all citizens and not for any particular community on the issue of demolition of properties.
As the nearly 100-metre-tall Supertech twin towers were razed to the ground on Sunday, doctors said people living nearby, especially those suffering from respiratory diseases, should take extra care and avoid the area for a few days if possible.
The verdict by a special court in the Babri Masjid demolition case comes 28 years after kar sevaks razed the 16th century mosque and almost a year after the Supreme Court settled the land case in favour of a Ram temple at the disputed Ayodhya site.
Unlike in the past, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is not celebrating any "Shaurya Diwas" (Bravery Day) on Tuesday and there are no plans by the Muslim community to observe a "Black Day".
US President Donald Trump has called on Jordan and Egypt to take in more Palestinian refugees from Gaza, advocating for a "clean out" of the area ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war. Trump spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan on this matter and plans to discuss it with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He suggested housing for the refugees at a different location, potentially temporary or long-term, to enable a fresh start for the region. Trump also lifted the hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a decision made by the previous Biden administration.
While closing the contempt proceedings, the bench observed that the matter ought to have come up for hearing earlier.
The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) has served a notice to the stepmother of June 3 violence key accused Zafar Hayat Hashmi, seeking explanations why a hostel allegedly owned by her should not be demolished.
Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi has defended the state government's use of bulldozers to demolish the homes of alleged anti-social elements, saying that only opposition parties are upset about the measure. He also vowed to take strict action against those involved in "love jihad", saying that they would be paraded on the streets. Sanghavi's comments come amid rising tensions over the issue of religious conversions in India.
Top BJP leaders hailed the special CBI court order acquitting all the accused and described it as a victory of truth and justice.
The administration started preparing for the demolition of two precariously standing hotels in subsidence-hit Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Tuesday, but faced protests from their owners and locals on the issue of compensation, while more families were evacuated from the danger zone as the number of affected houses rose to over 700.
The petitioners alleged that the demolition of the existing is an 'arbitrary action' of the state government in a pandemic situation, and deprives five lakh people of the surrounding areas from getting clean air. The court ordered the state government to file its counter with all necessary details that were pointed out by the petitioner.
The authorities in Prayagraj have ordered the demolition of a private hospital where a dengue patient died after being transfused with what the family claimed was sweet lime juice and not blood platelets.
According to an order issued by the MHA, departmental proceedings are being contemplated against Rai.
The top court said that it was not against anyone but the primary concern is illegal constructions in Coastal Regulation Zone areas, which eventually lead to natural disasters.
With several state administrations flattening the houses of those involved in criminal cases with bulldozers, the Supreme Court on Monday questioned how can anybody's house be demolished just because he is an accused.
Supertech Managing Director Mohit Arora said the company will file a review petition in the SC.
Reacting to the Environment Ministry's decision to demolish the 31-storey Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, the society's counsel, Satish Maneshinde on Sunday said that the tenor of the order is completely malafide.
Can ordinary citizens counter this backward march? Can peace activists ensure that the two communities retain their bonds? Do they have a choice, asks Jyoti Punwani.
An official said the Prayagraj Development Authority is trying to identify the homes of the 37 people and action 'according to the law' will be taken if their building plans have not been approved.
The accused include former deputy prime minister Advani, former Union ministers Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, besides Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said the demolition drive was carried out on land that was "part of planned development land". Police said several structures built illegally were demolished during the drive.
Acting on the Supreme Court's order, the Army has begun the process of taking over the possession of the scam-tainted Adarsh building at Colaba in South Mumbai.
A day earlier, the properties of two people accused of rioting were demolished in Saharanpur where stone-pelting had taken place as well.
The Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished by karsevaks on December 6, 1992.
Stating that Adarsh Housing Society had brazenly violated the law, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on Monday ruled out the possibility of regularizing the 31-storey building, at a hearing before the Bombay High Court.
Four people were killed and at least 10 injured Monday morning after a fire broke out in a hotel here, prompting authorities to issue orders for demolition of the four-storey building after following the 'due process'.
