Demolition drive stopped, says top Nuh official after high court’s stay order

The authorities demolished 94 houses and 212 other structures on Sunday, taking the total number of buildings razed by the authorities to more than 750 over the past week

NUH: The Nuh administration on Monday paused the demolition drive in the district after the Punjab and Haryana high court took note of the action and ordered the authorities to pause the drive.

An illegal hotel-cum-restaurant being demolished from where stones were allegedly pelted during the recent violence that erupted between groups in Nuh on Sunday (ANI FILE)

A bench of justice GS Sandhawalia took suo moto cognisance of the demolitions in Nuh following the communal clashes and told the government to pause the demolitions till further orders.

The high court will take up the matter again at 2pm.

Deputy commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata said the administration has asked the teams concerned to stop the demolition drive with immediate effect and to stop any illegal construction from coming up on encroached land.

The court also questioned the government’s demolition drive for bringing down structures without serving any notices to affected parties.

The high court’s intervention came as the demolition drive entered its fifth day. Over the last four days, the district administration has demolished more than 750 buildings and structures.

The demolition drive was launched after communal clashes erupted in Nuh on July 31 after mobs attacked a Hindu religious procession organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The ensuing violence spread to other parts of Haryana, leading to the death of six people.

Jawahar Yadav, officer on special duty to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Sunday said the drive will continue till all the houses and properties of the suspects are demolished. “They have disrupted peace and harmony and they will have to bear the cost of it. They have intentionally and with planning attacked the Hindu yatra that involved women and children,” he said.