Ghaziabad: Three house built ‘illegally’ on land earmarked for pond razed down

Ghaziabad The district administration, along with police, took up a major demolition drive on Thursday afternoon and razed down three houses, which officials said were illegally constructed over a land earmarked for a pond in Usmangarhi locality near Dasna in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad The district administration, along with police, took up a major demolition drive on Thursday afternoon and razed down three houses, which officials said were illegally constructed over a land earmarked for a pond in Usmangarhi locality near Dasna in Ghaziabad.

Ghaziabad, India - April 28, 2022: An excavator demolishes the alleged illegal property of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Usman Chaudhary at Usman Garhi in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India on Thursday, April 28 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times)

Bulldozers were rolled out amid heavy police presence as the district officials expected resistance from the locals but the drive remained largely peaceful.

Police said that the land was encroached upon by a man identified as Mohammad Usman and his family members. Officials said the hoses were built several decades ago and that the estimated value of the land, on which the dwellings were constructed, is about ₹2 crore.

“There are several houses belonging to Usman’s family. They have managed to obtain a stay from a court in 2011. The houses, on which there is a stay from the court, were not demolished while three others were taken down. Proper notices were also served before the demolition drive,” said Vinay Kumar Singh, sub-divisional magistrate adding that a recommendation has also been made for declaring Usman as a kingpin of land mafia.

Police said Usman is involved in several criminal cases. “He has four criminal cases registered against him, including a case of dacoity. The land is earmarked for a pond in revenue records and has been illegally encroached upon by Usman and his family members,” said superintendent of police (rural) Iraj Raja.

When contacted, Usman said he is being singled out and targeted as he supported opposition parties during different elections. “This is why the administration has a grudge against me and my family. They pasted the notice on Wednesday and took up the demolition drive the next day. The area has about 700-800 other houses but none of them were demolished. The locality was not developed by me but some other person, whose name happens to be Usman. The demolition drive against my houses is a biased move,” said Usman adding that he got three ponds developed in the locality on his own.

In the Hinchlal Tiwari vs Kamala Devi case of 2001, the Supreme Court said in its judgement, “It is important to notice that the material resources of the community like forests, tanks, ponds, hillock, mountain etc. are nature’s bounty. They maintain delicate ecological balance. They need to be protected for a proper and healthy environment which enables people to enjoy a quality life which is the essence of the guaranteed right under Article 21 of the Constitution.”