New Delhi, 11 March (H.S.):

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from demolishing homes of individuals accused in the Uttam Nagar murder case, granting petitioners leave to withdraw their plea and file a fresh one within a week.

During hearings, MCD argued the structures encroach public lanes, requiring no prior notice for demolition—a stance backed by Supreme Court precedents. MCD counsel Sanjay Poddar urged petitioners to submit affidavits affirming no public land encroachment.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma called the petition misleading, advising focus solely on MCD's demolition drive rather than police probe into the murder. The court agreed, directing improved pleadings while upholding its March 10 order barring MCD's bulldozer operations.

The March 4 Holi clashes saw 26-year-old Tarun Bhutoliya murdered, prompting MCD to raze illegal portions of an accused's home. Petitioners—Shahnaz (mother of accused Sohail and Ayan), Jarina (mother of Imran alias Bunti), and others—claimed arbitrary action post-FIR, fearing similar targeting despite framing as falsely implicated.

Petitioners asserted MCD's moves breach natural justice principles and Articles 14, 21, and 300A of the Constitution, flouting Supreme Court guidelines amid communal tensions fueled by the Muslim accused's involvement.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar