Delhi High Court stays demolition of Kathputli Colony

The Delhi HC on Tuesday stayed the demolition of Kathputli Colony for 16 days. This came after a petition was moved by an NGO and some residents seeking time for voluntary relocation of the residents and filing of appeals by those ineligible for rehabilitation.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Harishankar also directed the police officers of Ranjit Nagar to maintain "strict status quo" in the West Delhi colony thereby restricting the residents to carry out any permanent construction in the area.

The court's direction came on the plea filed by an NGO, Centre for Holistic Development and some residents who had challenged the demolition drive carried out by the DDA at the colony spread across 14 acres. The court also issued a notice to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Police, Delhi government, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, and sought their responses on the plea filed through advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General, Sanjay Jain informed the court that substantial demolition has already been carried out on the spot and that the DDA is working on its project of effecting relocation of the eligible slum dwellers from the colony in order to implement rehabilitation.