A Guwahati-based advocate on Thursday petitioned the Gauhati High Court Chief Justice R. M. Chhaya to register “a suo motu PIL” in the Batadrava eviction case.

In his five-page petition, advocate Zunaid Khalid has contended that the Assam government has carried out eviction drives in various districts “without following the due process of law” and the victims were “not” compensated under the Displaced Persons (Compensation And Rehabilitation) Rules, 1955.

Khalid moved the high court a day after the Assam Human Rights Commission sought a detailed report from the Nagaon district administration on the eviction drive against 302 families under Batadrava mouza on or by January 10.

Requesting the chief justice to “kindly” take up a sou motu PIL so that the evicted families “get justice and adequate compensation”, Khalid claimed the affected families were “paying” land revenue, and were allowed to “formally settle” in the area in 1988 by the then minister Digen Bora and since then the settlers were “provided” with all government facilities such as electricity, anganwadi centres and housing units.

A suo motu PIL can be initiated by the high court or the Supreme Court on their own on receipt of any information about a violation of the law.

The advocate claimed the incumbent BJP-led state government launched the drive upon receiving the report of the Commission for Review and Assessment of Problems of Satra Land.