Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court refused to continue the demolition campaign by officials on Tuesday Chandola The lake, from where the city police scored more than 900 persons, suspected Bangladesh’s illegal migrant three days ago. Eighteen residents of Siyasatnagar area in Chandola filed a petition on Monday evening and demanded immediate intervention by stopping the demolition by HC, which had already begun. Justice Mauna Bhatt gave him a necessary hearing on Tuesday when the High Court was working due to public holiday.
His lawyer, Anand YaganikPresented that the petitioners are Indian citizens and lived in the region for nearly 50 years, and they have enough documents to establish their citizenship. The demolition process was opposed on the basis that no expulsion notice was mandated to the residents by the Supreme Court order. It was argued that the petitioners are not the owners of the land, but there is no map of demarcation and delimitation under it. CRZ Notification to indicate that they are occupying the waterbody.
In addition, it was argued that the residents are given the benefit of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme of the Gujarat 2010 state, as amended in 2013, and should not be evicted without providing alternative housing. It was also argued that the demolition was driven on the pretext of taking action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, but such action is illegal until a competent authority decides about citizenship of suspects.
The state government, while arguing, opposed the petition that the land occupied is a notified waterbody, and such unauthorized business and construction do not warrant any prior removal notice. Furthermore, it argued that according to an intelligence report, Chandola region is a threat to the security of the state. After hearing the arguments, Justice Mauna Bhatt refused to stop the demolition on the basis of the state government’s dispute that the petitioners live on the notified land. According to an SC’s decision, long -lasting business does not give any right to illegal encroachers, Advocate yagnik Said.
HC has kept the petition pending, and further hearing will be held in June.
