Slum demolition row: Plea in HC for SIT probe into infant’s death

A lawyer on Tuesday filed a fresh plea in the Delhi high court in connection with the Shakur Basti demolition incident seeking constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of a toddler during the razing of a shanty on December 12.

A lawyer on Tuesday filed a fresh plea in the Delhi high court in connection with the Shakur Basti demolition incident seeking constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of a toddler during the razing of a shanty on December 12.

A woman sits near her demolished shanty after an anti-encroachment drive conducted by the Indian Railways razed hundreds of shanties. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Advocate Prem Pal Singh in his petition before a bench of justices BD Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said the matter is urgent as the displaced residents of Shakur Basti need to be allocated permanent space immediately apart from the temporary rehabilitation programme being carried out by the concerned authorities.

Singh said the plea filed on Monday by a Congress leader had only sought rehabilitation of the people, who were rendered homeless in biting cold. He prayed for institution of a SIT probe into the incident and compensation to be paid to them as deemed appropriate by the court.

The court ordered the matter to be listed for Wednesday.

The petitioner said like the high court had asked Railway general manager, Delhi chief secretary, Delhi government and Delhi police commissioner to file affidavits as to what made them evict the slum dwellers in such an inhumane manner, it should also call for a response from CRPM and Railway Police, which gave protection for the exercise.

An anti-encroachment demolition drive by the Railways on December 12 at Shakur Basti left a six-month-old child dead and thousands of people homeless on the coldest night of the season.