The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL alleging contempt of the court’s interim direction on staying demolition of illegal properties with bulldozers.
The court said only those “directly or indirectly” affected by such demolitions could approach it for relief, referring to the locus standi of the petitioner, the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW).
A bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai told advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the federation, that if the petition was admitted, it would open a “Pandora's box” for similar litigations by persons who do not have any locus standi in the matter.
“We are not inclined to entertain the petition at the instance of the present applicant. We don't want to open a Pandora's box,” the bench, also having Justice P.K. Mishra and Justice K.V. Viswanathan, told Pasha.
The counsel submitted that despite the top court's directions through two orders on September 17 and October 1 staying all demolitions, the authorities continued to flatten houses with bulldozers in Haridwar, Jaipur and other places.
Additional solicitor-general K.M. Natraj, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, said some of the demolitions were related to encroachments on footpaths on which there was no stay.
