Gujarat high court fines petitioners opposing sale of shop to Muslim man in Hindu locality

The Gujarat high court has dismissed a review petition seeking recall of an order that approved sale of a shop in a predominantly Hindu locality in Vadodara to a Muslim man

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has dismissed a review petition seeking recall of an order that approved sale of a shop in a predominantly Hindu locality in Vadodara to a Muslim man.

The Gujarat high court also imposed ₹25,000 costs on around 10 petitioners, witnesses to the sale transaction, dismissing their objections that they were ‘coerced to sign the sale agreements’. (Archive)

The court also imposed ₹25,000 costs on around 10 petitioners, witnesses to the sale transaction, dismissing their objections that they were “coerced to sign the sale agreements”.

In his 42-page order, dated February 9, Justice Biren Vaishnav said it is a “disturbing factor that a successful purchaser of property in a disturbed area is being hounded and thwarting his attempt to enjoy the fruits of the property which he successfully purchased.”

The judgment was recently uploaded on the court’s website.

The petitioners had sought recalling the high court’s March 9, 2020 order that came in response to a petition by a shop owner challenging the district collector’s order rejecting permission for sale on the ground that “such sale was likely to affect the balance in the majority Hindu/ minority Muslims and could develop into law-and-order problem.”

In March 2020, the high court dismissed the said objections raised by the deputy collector. It observed that what is to be seen is whether the sale was for a fair consideration and with free consent.

The issue cropped up again when the sale was to be registered by the sub-registrar. The petitioners alleged they were coerced to put their signatures on the sale documents.