NMC chief apologies to HC over demolition of houses of 2 riots accused

Nagpur: The Nagpur municipal chief has tendered an unconditional apology in the Bombay High Court for the demolition of houses of accused in a riots case and said civic officials were unaware of the Supreme Court’s guidelines on razing of properties.

Also, no circular has been received by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation from the Maharashtra government about the apex court’s guidelines, NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari said in an affidavit filed before the HC’s Nagpur bench on Tuesday.

The civic officials were unaware of the Supreme Court’s order, which mandates procedural safeguards before demolishing properties linked to the riots accused, he stated in the affidavit.

A division bench of Justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi granted two weeks to the Maharashtra government for a response in the matter.

Violence occurred in parts of Nagpur on March 17 following rumours about a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by VHP seeking the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.

On March 24, the HC’s Nagpur bench ordered a stay on the demolition of the houses of Fahim Khan, a key accused in the violence case who has been charged with sedition, and other accused, rapping the administration for “high-handedness”.

While Khan’s two-storey house was razed before the HC passed the order in the afternoon of March 24, authorities halted the demolition of the ‘illegal’ portions of the other accused Yusuf Sheikh’s house following the court’s directive.

The duo had moved the High Court earlier that day against the demolition seeking an urgent hearing.