NEW DELHI: On Monday, the Delhi High Court ordered that authorities cannot demolish the homes of residents in Race Course slum clusters who have not agreed to alternative housing until July 1. “If they have not voluntarily vacated, you cannot touch them until July 1,” stated Justices Tejas Karia and Madhu Jain during the hearing of an appeal from residents of Bhai Ram Camp, DID Camp, and Masjid Camp. They challenged a previous ruling that denied intervention in their eviction from the area, adjacent to the prime minister’s official residence.
The appeal came to the vacation bench following an urgent request from the appellants’ attorney, who pointed out that demolitions had occurred in the locality on Sunday, despite ongoing litigation.
The counsel for the appellants argued there was an understanding between the high court and the authorities that no coercive measures would be taken while the appeal was pending, especially regarding rehabilitation issues.
Meanwhile, the Centre’s counsel stressed that demolition actions were in line with the high court’s latest directives, and a previous request for a stay on coercive measures had been denied by the court.
He further noted that individuals who accepted alternative accommodation cannot claim possession of their homes in the JJ clusters, asserting that the authorities followed the high court’s guidelines for providing facilities in the relocated housing.
The bench indicated that it would issue an order, emphasizing that rehabilitation is intended for those willing to leave voluntarily, and no resident can claim two accommodations. “The order is clear. Those who have accepted alternative housing cannot possess two (homes),” the court specified.
On May 11, a single-judge bench had declined to intervene in the eviction process, instructing residents to vacate the camps within 15 days.
The Centre sought these evictions citing that the jhuggi-jhopdi clusters were located in a protected zone immediately adjacent to an operational air force station. The decision to remove unauthorized structures was taken to enhance security and strengthen defense infrastructure for public safety purposes.
The Centre asserted that in-situ rehabilitation was unfeasible due to a lack of alternative housing in the area, leading to a decision to relocate 717 residents from the three slums to Savda Ghevra instead.
Earlier this month, while addressing the appeal, the court instructed the Centre to refrain from taking any coercive action against those who have not yet vacated their homes in the three slum clusters.
