Bombay High Court Seeks 10-Year Demolition Record From NMC In Riot Demolition Case The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to submit a record of demolitions over the past decade, highlighting instances where the civic body acted swiftly to remove unauthorized structures following the issuance of demolition notices. The court was examining petitions challenging the demolition of homes belonging to accused individuals involved in the March 17, 2025, riots in Nagpur. The case centers on whether the NMC enforced demolition laws uniformly or selectively, raising questions about the consistency of its enforcement practices. The petitioners, Abdul Hafeez Sheikh Lal and Jehrunissa Shamin Khan, argued that the demolition notice was served late on a Saturday, March 22, 2025, and that part of their house was demolished the following morning. They claimed their construction was legally sanctioned and that their representation asserting this was rejected on the same day. The court noted that despite the petition being served to NMC counsel at 11:45 am on March 24, demolition continued, with the corporation informing the court that part of the house had already been demolished by the time the matter was addressed at 2:30 pm. The bench observed that the demolition notice was served on a Saturday, contrasting the NMC’s prompt action in this case with delays in other demolitions. The judges emphasized that while they appreciated the swift response, they routinely encounter cases where authorities fail to demolish unauthorized structures for years despite legal notices under Section 53 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966.#bombay_high_court #nagpur_municipal_corporation #abudl_hafeez_sheikh_lal #jehrunissa_shamin_khan #maharashtra_regional_and_town_planning_act
