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The Supreme Court recently made a significant ruling against the practice of demolishing homes and properties of people awaiting trial, which is being done by state authorities using bulldozers.
The Court criticized this practice as a "might is right" approach that punishes people without a fair trial, leaving families homeless and without shelter.
The Court issued a series of binding rules to ensure fairness in demolitions:
People must be given 15 days' notice before their property is demolished.
Authorities must explain why the property is being demolished (e.g., unauthorized construction).
Those affected must have the chance to challenge the demolition before it happens.
The entire demolition process must be filmed for transparency.
The Court also warned that officials who do not follow these directives could face:
Legal action for disobeying the Court's order.
Officials might have to compensate for the demolished property.
The ruling came after petitions from citizens in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, who had been affected by the "bulldozer culture" (a term used for the practice of demolishing properties of accused individuals).
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