Jahangirpur demolition SC hearing live updates: A Supreme Court bench of Justices L N Rao and B R Gavai ordered a halt of all demolition activities in North West Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area, while saying that it would “take a serious view of all demolitions that took place after the Supreme Court decision was communicated to the mayor”. The bench also issued notice to the NDMC in the petition filed by the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and sought its reply within two weeks.

The bench started hearing the case related to the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri at 11 am today. Hit by communal violence days earlier, the area in North West Delhi saw seven bulldozers roll into the neighbourhood on orders of the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation, razing parts of several structures, including the exterior gate of a place of worship. The demolition, which started around 10.15 am, went on for two hours despite the Supreme Court’s directions at 11 am that status quo be maintained.

Meanwhile, a local BJP party worker was allegedly shot dead just outside his home by four men in East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar on Wednesday evening. The man has been identified as Jitu Choudhary.

For more updates on what's happening in Delhi today, follow our daily live blog 

A day after several structures were demolished at Jahangirpuri in New Delhi on Wednesday, several companies of police stood for their roll call in riot gear, carrying tear gas munitions and shields on Thursday morning.

In the afternoon, the Supreme Court ordered the status quo in the north-west Delhi locality for at least two weeks, after which it will hear the matter of demolitions again.

Waiting for the court to decide on whether the demolition drive would continue, people and the security personnel were both unsure of what the day would bring. Read more

National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Syed Shahzadi on Thursday said the panel will submit a report to the government on the communal violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area and recommend appropriate action.

The chairman of the NCM and other members visited Jahangirpuri, she said.

Eight police personnel and a local were injured in stone-pelting and arson after clashes broke out between two communities in Jahangirpuri during a Hanuman Jayanti procession on April 16. Some vehicles were also torched. Read more

Congress leader Maqdoom Khan, while explaining as to why the party did not turn up yesterday, said: “We were discussing the writ petition filed by senior leader Kapil Sibal. The discussions went on till night which is why we postponed the visit to today morning.”

Congress leader Maqdoom Khan explains why the party's members hadn't come to #Jahangirpuri on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/alvlX48Bft

Congress leader Anil Chaudhary sat in protest against the police not allowing them to meet the victims of Wednesday’s demolition drive.

Congress leader Anil Chaudhary sat in protest against the police not allowing them to meet the victims of Wednesday’s demolition drive. pic.twitter.com/IRvH4a5Kw7

On reaching the spot, Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken said: "We have come here to meet the victims. There is no policy which says demolitions can be done without prior notice. We want to tell people that this incident should not be looked at from the prism of religion."

A delegation of Congress leaders arrived at Kushal Chowk in Jahangirpuri, where clashes had broken out on Saturday. Ajay Maken and Haroon Yusuf were among the delegation walking to the chowk.

Here are a few key takeaways from today’s hearing:

⚫ The Supreme Court has ordered to North Delhi civic body to stop the demolition drive until further orders.

⚫ Matter to be heard after two weeks.

⚫ Supreme Court issues notice to authorities, says: “Will take a serious view of all demolitions that took place after the Supreme Court decision was communicated to the mayor.”

⚫ The Bench also issued notice to the Union of India and the States of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat on another petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against the authorities in different states resorting to demolition of houses of persons accused in crimes.

Daleep Kumar Saxena, whose fruit-juice stall was destroyed by a bulldozer, turned up at Jahangirpuri today. “No notice was given. I have all the documents. I have suffered a loss of at least Rs 7 lakh. I have ab NOC that my shop is authorised. The SC has put a stay, but I have already suffered a loss. When my shop was being demolished, police did not allow me to come,' Saxena added before being taken away by the cops.

Asking the civic body to stop all demolition drives, the Supreme Court said: “We will take a serious view of all demolitions that took place after the Supreme Court decision was communicated to the mayor. Issue notice in all petitions. Status quo to be maintained. To be heard after two weeks.”

The Supreme Court bench asked those representing the civic body as to when was the order communicated to MCD as it was passed at 10:45 am. To this, Dushyant Dave said: “The authorities themselves spoke to the media at 11 am about the Supreme Court order, yet they continued the demolition.” Sanjay Hegde, who is representing a victim of the drive, said: “I told them about the Supreme Court order, yet they continued with the demolition.”   

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while rubbishing claims that only one community is being targetted during demolition drives, cited the example of Khargone in Madhya Pradesh. “Allegations that only one community is targeted is incorrect. In MP, which has become topic of all debates, 88 of those affected are Hindus, I’m sorry I’ve to bifurcate, but I’m being compelled to.”

Petitioners’ lawyer Dushyant Dave said: “A reasonable opportunity is to be given (before demolition). You have destroyed homes now. Who is responsible? You will not touch Sainik Farms and south Delhi, where every other home would be unauthorised, but you will come to demolish homes of poor people? The letter by the Delhi BJP chief is a sad commentary on the state of our nation.”

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, while saying that the process of demolition was just to instill fear in people’s minds, said: “Encroachments are wrong What’s happening is you are associating Muslims with encroachment.” To this, Justice Rao asked as to whether any property belonging to Hindus was demolished during the drive, according to Bar and Bench.

Hitting out at the North Delhi civic body for the demolition drive, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who was appearing for the petitioner, said: “You have destroyed homes, who should be held accountable? They are poor people! Come to any colony in south delhi including golf links,every second house has unauthorised construction. You don’t want to destroy that.”

The Supreme Court bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai began hearing a plea against demolition drive in Delhi's Jahangirpuri. Hit by communal violence days earlier, the area in North West Delhi saw seven bulldozers roll into the neighbourhood on orders of the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation, razing parts of several structures, including the exterior gate of a place of worship. The demolition, which started around 10.15 am, went on for two hours despite the Supreme Court’s directions at 11 am that status quo be maintained.  

A delegation of Congress comprising 15 leaders, including former Union minister Ajay Maken, MP Shakti Singh Gohil, Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary, and vice president Abhishek Dutt, would be visiting Jahangirpuri in Delhi Thursday, where a demolition drive was carried out a day before. “Jehangirpur demolition without notice/procedure is entirely illegal… Tomorrow morning, along with other senior leaders, I will visit the site. Sorry for not being there today,” said Maken in a tweet.

The bulldozer is at the door, due process is underfoot, and the Supreme Court cannot unsee the danger. The sequence of events speaks for itself: At Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi Wednesday morning, seven bulldozers rolled in, accompanied by over 1,000 policemen, to demolish “illegal encroachments” in an area still tense because of the flaring of communal violence on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on Saturday — and they continued on their mission to raze for well over an hour after the Supreme Court ordered them to pause. Evidently, the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation follows the BJP’s agenda ardently, even when the Court directs it to hold its hand, even when it goes against the law. At Jahangirpuri, the fig leaf — of illegal constructions — is so thin it does not even require a puff of Delhi’s acrid air to be blown away. Read More

As the Supreme Court is about to take up the Jahangirpuri demolition case today, Congress leader P Chidambaram said: We see the Rule of Law break down every day. Soon, there will be no law and no rules. Once arbitrary ‘Orders’ override ‘Law’, we are on the road to hell. The Bulldozer represents the arbitrary ‘Order’. The Supreme Court represents ‘Law’. Yesterday, we saw the Bulldozer defy the Law. Let’s see what happens today.”

We see the Rule of Law break down every day. Soon there will be no law and no rules Once arbitrary ‘Orders’ override ‘Law’, we are on the road to hell

Wednesday’s action in Jahangirpuri by the North MCD flies in the face of its usual practice of sending a notice at least five days in advance in cases of encroachment. The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957 states that the civic body needs to give at least five days’ notice to a person who has carried out the alleged illegal construction. During this time, the person can be asked to make alterations, failing which the corporation has the power to demolish or seal the unauthorised structure. Read More

In other news, masks have been made mandatory in public places in the national capital once again, with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority reimposing a fine of Rs 500 as Covid-19 cases in the city shot past the 1,000-mark on Wednesday.

The Ashram underpass is set to completely open to the public from Sunday. The 750-metre-long underpass, to be inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on April 24, will connect New Friends Colony to Bhogal and provide seamless connectivity between central Delhi, ITO, India Gate, Sarai Kale Khan, Faridabad and Badarpur. The launch comes after eight missed deadlines.

In other news, the final part of the Lokniti-CSDS study on urban slums found that every year, lakhs of people from rural India migrate to cities in search of jobs, education and a better life for themselves and their families. Many are forced to live in congested slums. Close to one-fifth respondents (17%) were either not engaged in any work or were looking for a job.

Meanwhile, the city’s peak power demand hit 5,735 megawatt Tuesday, which is the highest ever for the city in the month of April, according to BSES officials. The peak power demand of 5,735 MW recorded at 3.30 pm Tuesday is a sharp rise from a peak of 4,469 MW on April 1, and 4,040 MW on March 1. This year, the peak power demand crossed 5,000 MW for the first time on April 8, at 5,036 MW.