Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Friday directed a petitioner seeking contempt proceedings against Sambhal authorities for allegedly violating its demolition verdict to approach the jurisdictional high court instead.
“File it before the high court,” a bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K. Vinod Chandran told the counsel representing Mohammed Ghayoor, the petitioner.
The bench noted that the high court would be the best forum to address the issue and granted liberty to the petitioner to approach it.
The petitioner, represented by advocate Chand Qureshi, alleged that Sambhal authorities ignored the Supreme Court’s November 13, 2024 verdict, which established pan-India guidelines for demolitions. The ruling prohibits demolitions without a prior showcause notice and mandates a 15-day response period for affected parties.
According to the plea, authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district bulldozed a portion of Ghayoor’s property on January 10-11, without issuing any prior notice or giving him or his family a chance to respond.
With the Supreme Court’s directive, the case is now expected to be taken up by the jurisdictional high court, which will determine if contempt proceedings against the officials are warranted.