48 Assam residents file contempt plea in SC against eviction, demolition of homes

Forty-eight residents of Assam on Wednesday filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court seeking to revoke the proposed demolitions of their homes in Kachutali village, in Kamrup Metropolitan district.

The district administration’s plan to demolish their homes violated the Supreme Court’s September 17 directive staying demolitions across the country till October 1, the petition said.

The court had issued the directives on a batch of petitions challenging “bulldozer action” by various state governments, whereby properties belonging to persons accused of crimes have been punitively demolished.

Over the past few weeks, an eviction drive in the Sonapur area of Kamrup Metropolitan has led to the demolitions of nearly 500 homes, with several others earmarked for razing.

The residents told the Supreme Court that their homes were tagged with red stickers on September 13, indicating that they would soon be evicted. They claimed they were not given any prior intimation about the eviction notices.

The eviction notices issued by the district administration alleged that the residents were in “illegal” possession of the land and were “unauthorised” to claim the plot as it was meant for use by members of the Scheduled Tribes community, as per the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation.

“The right to housing/shelter is a fundamental right as has been held by this...

Read more