The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has questioned Nagpur Municipal Corporation over the demolition of a 3-storey house owned by 38-year-old Fahim Khan, arrested last year in connection with communal violence in the city.A division bench comprising Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Vakode asked the civic body whether it plans to rebuild the house or compensate Khan for its value. The court noted that the demolition took place days after Khan’s arrest in the Mahal area violence linked to remarks about the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Municipal officials described the demolition at Sanjaybag Colony as action against an unauthorised structure. Khan’s family told the court that authorities acted in a haste and gave no proper opportunity to respond. They said the demolition left them without shelter.The high court observed that the civic body failed to follow Supreme Court guidelines on demolition of alleged illegal structures. As per these directions, authorities must issue notice and provide at least 15 days for a reply before removing any structure.
The bench asked how the loss would be addressed if due process was not followed. It directed the corporation to file its reply by March 4.
Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari appeared before the court and expressed regret. Submissions indicated that officials were unaware of the specific Supreme Court directions.