Court to hear Mathura demolition case on August 14
On Wednesday, the railways authorities, in collaboration with local police and administration, carried out an extensive demolition operation aimed at clearing encroachments in the backyard of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura. Yakub, a 66-year-old Nai Basti resident and petitioner in the case argued that the railway lacked the authority to demolish around 200 houses situated along the railway track due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Agra The application seeking stay against the demolition drive undertaken by the railway authorities in Nai Basti at the back of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi will now be heard on August 14. The action committee representing the Muslim-dominated Nai Basti, has approached district authorities seeking halt to demolition drive till disposal of the case pending in Mathura Court.
“The court of Civil Judge (senior division) Mathura has fixed August 14 for hearing on our application for stay against demolition that began on Wednesday. The application was moved on Thursday in the pending case, in which August 21 was fixed for filing of reply by railways, who instead of filing reply and waiting for the disposal of the case, chose arbitrarily to initiate demolition of constructions in Nai Basti on Wednesday,” said Yakub Shah, convenor of the Action Committee Nai Basti in Mathura.
The Railway authorities had started a demolition drive against encroachments on railway land on Wednesday but stopped for a couple of days allowing residents of Nai Bastito remove encroachments on their own.
The locals fear that the demolition drive might be resumed on Monday.
“We met the city magistrate and handed over a memorandum addressed to district magistrate of Mathura last week wherein we sought measures for rehabilitating those uprooted in demolition drive and houses in DUDA scheme,” said Yakub Shah.
“The demolition drive should be stopped till the pendency of the case filed by us in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Mathura and railways should compensate those whose properties were dismantled,” added Shah.
“The railway authorities, in the presence of the police force gave an ultimatum of three days on Wednesday, before re-launching the demolition drive, which if goes on, will defeat the very purpose of the suit filed by the petitioner in the first place,” said Yakub.
Earlier on Wednesday, the railways authorities, in collaboration with local police and administration, carried out an extensive demolition operation aimed at clearing encroachments in the backyard of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura.
These encroachments, primarily consisting of houses inhabited by members of the minority community, were removed as part of an initiative to convert the existing metre gauge railway track into a broad gauge track, facilitating a connection between Mathura and Vrindavan, said the railways’ public relations officer (PRO).
Yakub, a 66-year-old Nai Basti resident and petitioner in the case argued that the railways lacked the authority to demolish around 200 houses situated along the railway track due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Prashasti Srivastava, PRO for the Agra division, North-Central Railways, clarified last week that advance notices were issued to the “encroachers” residing unlawfully alongside the railway track. The demolition operation, which began on Wednesday, will resume after a few days.
“In all, 135 unauthorised occupants were served eviction notices. Many of them requested time to relocate, and their appeals were accommodated by the administration. However, no substantial justification was provided to impede the demolition. Consequently, 60 structures were razed on Wednesday. The remaining unauthorised constructions will be demolished in the days ahead,” Srivastava had said.
