PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has temporarily halted the demolition of 48 houses and shops in the Dibiyapur region of Auraiya district, instructing authorities to maintain the status of the disputed properties.
A division bench, consisting of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Vivek Varma, issued the ruling and scheduled the next hearing for April 29, requiring the state government to submit its counter affidavit within a week.
The court mentioned that an urgent appeal was made before the Chief Justice on April 15, noting the imminent demolition of 48 residential and commercial properties in the Nahar Bazar area, set for 6 a.m. on April 16. Consequently, the bench was formed via an administrative order on that same day.
The writ petition contesting the validity of an order dated September 30, 2025, requested action to prevent authorities from evicting the petitioners from their homes and businesses.
The petitioners’ counsel argued that the relevant documents submitted were overlooked during the issuance of the contested order.
He further claimed that any demolition would result in irreparable damage to the petitioners.
In response, the state counsel argued that ample opportunities had been extended to the petitioners, who failed to appear for the proceedings, leaving authorities with no choice but to act according to the law.
After considering both arguments, the court determined that a counter affidavit from the state government was essential and instructed the matter to be re-listed before the appropriate bench on April 29.
