A demolition drive launched by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) outside the district court in Qaiserbagh on Sunday led to chaotic scenes even as an unverified video clip on social media showed police resorting to a lathi-charge and protesters allegedly pelting officials with stones.
The action, carried out under directions from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, triggered protests from advocates who alleged that the civic body exceeded the notified scope of demolition and targeted structures beyond the 72 structures for which notices had earlier been served.
While LMC officials maintained they acted against illegal encroachments built on public land and drains, advocates accused the civic body of changing the scope of action without prior information.
On May 13, additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava, while speaking to HT, revealed that notices had already been served on all occupants, directing them to remove their belongings by May 16. The high court had earlier directed the LMC to clear the illegal constructions, but the operation was delayed due to inadequate police deployment. In a letter sent to the district administration on May 4, municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar sought additional police force and administrative support for the proposed drive. The high court had recently observed that authorities were empowered to remove encroachments from public pathways and government land to ensure public access and maintain order, as earlier reported by HT.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had instructed authorities to remove encroachments from public pathways and government land.
{{/usCountry}}The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court had instructed authorities to remove encroachments from public pathways and government land.
{{/usCountry}}Officials had maintained that the encroachments had narrowed internal roads around the district court and created persistent traffic congestion in the busy Qaiserbagh area.
However, LMC teams moved beyond Collectorate Road on Sunday and started razing chambers located on the rear side of the district court near the excise office.
Advocates alleged that while notices were served for structures along Collectorate Road, no such information had been provided regarding structures located on the other side.
“We were informed about action on one stretch, but demolition suddenly began on another side,” several advocates at the site alleged.
LMC teams started the operation by removing temporary structures located outside the district court premises on Collectorate Road. Though advocates staged protests during the initial phase, the demolition work continued without major disruptions.
On Sunday, additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava said the civic body removed around 100 illegal encroachments from the site during the demolition drive.
Another senior LMC official said the municipal corporation would soon begin a fresh drive to remove the remaining illegal structures ahead of the next court hearing scheduled for the last week of this month.
The situation intensified when demolition teams moved towards the rear side of the district court near the excise office route and began removing advocates’ chambers allegedly constructed over open drains.
Sonu, a street vendor at the spot, said advocates immediately objected and demanded clarification from civic officials regarding the action.
Arguments soon erupted between advocates and LMC officials, with protesters questioning why structures beyond the originally marked locations were being targeted.
According to officials and eyewitnesses, a section of protesters allegedly resorted to pelting police personnel and municipal teams with stones.
Multiple videos purportedly showed police responding by conducting a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Several people reportedly sustained injuries during the confrontation, although officials did not immediately release a detailed injury count.
Heavy police deployment remained in place throughout the operation.
Officials, including deputy commissioner of police (West) Kamlesh Dixit, assistant commissioners of police, teams from multiple police stations and the city magistrate’s office remained stationed at the site.