The Supreme Court of India has raised concerns over the Uttar Pradesh government's frequent use of bulldozers to demolish houses of accused individuals. The court questioned the logic behind opposing the bail plea of Fashath Al Khan, who faced criminal prosecution for allegedly demolishing a house in Rampur district in 2016. The bench, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, sought clarification from the UP Additional Advocate General (AAG) RK Raizada on whether the state accepted that "bulldozing houses is a wrongful act" and if they would cease such actions.
The UP government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has come to be known for its aggressive approach to tackling criminals, earning him the nickname "Bulldozer Baba." However, these actions have sparked allegations of targeting critics and minorities and have been replicated by other BJP-led states.
During the hearing, Justice Kaul questioned the AAG if the government would now discontinue the practice of bulldozing houses. The AAG limited his response to the specific case, stating that his brief only covered the matter at hand.
Subsequently, the bench granted bail to Fashath Al Khan and set aside the Allahabad High Court's order cancelling his bail. The court reinstated the original order passed by the trial court in July 2020.
The use of bulldozers to demolish the houses of accused persons has been a matter of concern, and PILs have been filed challenging these extra-judicial actions. The Supreme Court had previously directed the Uttar Pradesh government to refrain from such demolitions except in compliance with established laws. In response, the state submitted an affidavit stating that the demolitions in Kanpur and Prayagraj were conducted under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, and were not linked to riots but initiated due to building rule violations.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had announced that it would examine a plea in September for laying down the law on the validity of using bulldozers in such cases. The petition, filed by Jamiat-Ulami-I-Hind and others, alleged that Muslims were particularly targeted in these actions.
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