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

Updated on: Aug 7, 2023, 13:28:20 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More