Uttar Pradesh: Bahraich shopkeepers get eviction notices, anticipate bulldozer action

At least 23 shopkeepers in Maharajganj village, in Uttar Pradesh’ Bahraich district, have begun emptying their establishments for fear of a demolition drive, reported PTI on Sunday.

According to India Today, some of the shopkeepers voluntarily demolished portions of their establishments that were deemed to be illegal.

One of the shops that received an eviction notice belongs to 62-year-old jeweller Abdul Hameed, who was allegedly involved in the killing of a 22-year-old Hindu man named Ram Gopal Mishra last Sunday. Hameed’s three sons have also been accused in the case, reported The Indian Express.

Mishra died reportedly of a gunshot wound after clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups during a Durga Puja procession.

Twenty of the shopkeepers anticipating bulldozer action are Muslim.

The Public Works Department served eviction notices to all 23 shopkeepers after an inspection on Friday. They were asked them to vacate their properties in three days as per provisions of the Road Control Act, 1964.

There are no provisions in Indian law that allow for the destruction of property as a punitive action against someone accused of a crime. The practice has, however, become common in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The notice to Hameed stated that his property was “illegal” for being within 60 feet of a road median, reported PTI. District Magistrate Monika Rani said that “encroachments”...

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