The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties and said affected people need to be given some time to challenge demolition orders before an appropriate forum.
For homebuyers, the OC is not just an administrative formality but the very basis of lawful possession. Without it, the property is deemed unauthorised, exposing buyers to risks such as eviction, denial of utilities, or even demolition.
The establishment -- Vice-Global Tapas Bar -- against which the action was being taken, is located in Juhu suburb.
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered a stay on the demolition of the houses of two accused, including Fahim Khan, in the violence case, criticizing the administration for "high-handedness." The court questioned why the owners were not given a hearing before the demolition of alleged illegal portions. The action was taken without providing a hearing to the property owners, the bench noted. The court sought a response from the government and civic authorities and posted the matter for further hearing on April 15. If the court concludes that the demolition was illegal, the authorities would have to pay for the damage caused.
The demand comes nearly a month after violence erupted in Nagpur during a rally which demanded the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.
'Even as the Supreme Court's anti-punitive demolition judgment nears its first anniversary, no formal contempt proceedings have been initiated either by the Supreme Court or any high court against officers or demolition squads who have acted in violation of it.'
"PWD officials had informed us that a wall of the mosque was in PWD land and we were served a notice. So we decided to demolish the wall," Iqbal Ali, a member of the mosque committee, said earlier.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sanjay Karol made the observation while setting aside a Calcutta high court order that had revoked a doctor's licence for contempt of court.
Amid escalating tensions over the Sinjauli mosque in Shimla, a Muslim welfare committee on Thursday urged the municipal commissioner to seal the unauthorised portion and also offered to demolish it in accordance with a court order.
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the Bombay high court verdict that directed the Mumbai civic body to demolish the unauthorised construction at Union minister Narayan Rane's bungalow in the Juhu area, noting that there was a violation of the Floor Space Index and Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
The collapse of a three-storey building in Punjab's Mohali has claimed two lives, with rescuers pulling out the body of a man and a fatally injured woman from under the rubble during a multi-agency 23-hour rescue operation that concluded Sunday evening, officials said.
Bollywood actor Sonu Sood is a 'habitual offender' who keeps carrying out unauthorised construction work in a residential building in suburban Juhu despite demolition action initiated on two occasions in the past, the Mumbai civic body stated in its affidavit filed in the Bombay high court on Tuesday.
A section of residents of Sanjauli and Hindu outfits had launched an agitation to press for the demolition of the mosque, claiming that it was unauthorised but no action was taken by the Corporation during the past 15 years.
A few days back, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued a notice to Khan, citing various lapses and lack of the building plan approval (for his house), sources said.
The courtsaid the actor had ample opportunity in the past and if required, he could approach the civic body.
An unauthorised four-story building collapsed in Virar, India, killing 17 people. The collapse occurred on Wednesday, and rescue operations are ongoing.
The Nagpur municipal chief has offered an unconditional apology to the Bombay High Court for the demolition of houses belonging to accused in a riots case, citing ignorance of Supreme Court guidelines on such actions. The civic officials were unaware of the Supreme Court's order, which mandates procedural safeguards before demolishing properties linked to riots accused, the commissioner stated in an affidavit. The court has granted the Maharashtra government two weeks to respond to the matter.
A large number of police personnel have been deployed there to prevent any untoward incident in view of the prevailing situation, he said.
Shivakumar took stock of the incident in which five people lost their lives.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan clarified that its order will not be applicable to unauthorised structures on public roads, footpaths etc.
Understand policy inclusions and exclusions to avoid surprises during claims.
The apex court said when a particular structure is chosen all of a sudden for demolition and the rest of similarly situated structures in the same vicinity are not even being touched, "mala fide may loom large".
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.
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.
The Bombay high court on Monday rued that for long illegal constructions have been mushrooming but time has now come to change the attitude that nothing will happen to such structures.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the building collapse site at Azan Molla Lane in the city's western periphery and assured local residents of stern action against illegal construction.
There is need for buyers to understand cancellation rules before entering into a purchase agreement with a developer.
The Supreme Court on Friday said the construction activity being carried out by the Odisha government at the famed Shree Jagannath temple in Puri is necessary in the larger public interest as it dismissed pleas opposing the work.
Protestors demanding the demolition of an illegal structure in a mosque in Shimla's Sanjauli area were lathi-charged by security forces on Wednesday after they broke police barricades during a demonstration.
"My family and I continue to spend the night in the open. Some locals are providing us with food and water, etc.," Hassan said on Friday, a day after he refused an offer by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to move him and his family to an EWS flat in Narela.
Aliza, a Class-10 student of the National Institute of Open Schooling, could not appear in her home science exam due to the chaos prevailing after the demolition of the house, her family members claimed.
The Supreme Court of India has criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for its "high-handed" demolition of homes in Prayagraj, ordering the reconstruction of the demolished structures. The court expressed concern over the manner in which notices were served and the swiftness of the demolition, stating that it "shocks our conscience." The court has allowed the reconstruction of the homes at the petitioners' expense, provided they file appeals and do not claim ownership of the land. The matter has been adjourned to allow the petitioners to file undertakings.
The Delhi high court has slapped Rs 10 lakh costs on an NGO which had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging unauthorised construction in New Delhi, saying it was unfortunate that the noble forum of PIL was being used for blackmailing citizens.
Equating 'bulldozer justice' with a lawless state of affairs where might is right, the Supreme Court on Wednesday laid down pan-India guidelines and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice and the affected must be given 15 days to respond.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has combined three bungalows into one in the prime location of the Lutyen's zone of Delhi and the unauthorised construction has come under the scanner of state-builder Central Public Works Department.
Evidence of several irregularities have been detected in the transfer of 14 sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to B M Parvathi, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to the Enforcement Directorate.
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".
The Supreme Court of India has directed Uttar Pradesh authorities to respond to contempt proceedings for allegedly razing a portion of a mosque in Kushinagar, defying a previous court order. The court has also ordered a halt to any further demolition of the structure. The demolition was carried out despite a November 2024 Supreme Court ruling that barred demolition without a prior show cause notice and a 15-day response period. The petitioners allege the demolition was carried out in violation of legal process and the Supreme Court's guidelines, as well as without providing an opportunity for a hearing.
Earlier, the Mumbai civic body had also issued a notice to Rane's 'Aadhish' bungalow over alleged unauthorised construction and rejected his proposal for its regularisation.
During his inauguration on Monday, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US southern border.
