The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Faridabad Municipal Corporation in Haryana to take immediate steps for razing all unauthorised structures dotting the Aravalli forest near a village as it declined to entertain the plea of around 10,000 families who had sought a stay on the imminent demolition.

A bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari asserted that it would not brook any violation of the court’s earlier orders passed in February 2020 and April this year.

The bench while seeking a compliance report with six weeks warned that it would make the officers concerned responsible for any defiance at its next hearing and proceed against them accordingly.

The court passed the directions while rejecting the petition filed by 10,000 families living in a slum in Khori Gaon Basti in Faridabad. They have been residing on government land since 1980. “Most of them, however, are unable to show any proof of existence,” senior advocate Colin Gonzalves appearing for the petitioners told the bench during the hearing.

The bench said: “…In our opinion, the petitioners are bound by the directions given by the high court and reiterated by this Court in order dated 19th February, 2020, and again on 5th April, 2021, in another proceedings pending before this Court with regard to the same subject matter. The relief claimed by the petitioners in this writ petition can be considered de-hors compliance of the directions given on earlier occasions by this Court in orders dated 19th February, 2020, and 5th April, 2021, respectively.”