TCN News Desk
New Delhi: Demolition of the home belonging to the family of a Muslim teenager accused of stabbing his Hindu classmate in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district has sparked significant controversy. The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has condemned the action as an example of “goonda raj” and has called for urgent judicial intervention in a letter to the chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
The dispute began when Rajasthan’s forest department issued a notice to the family of the accused on August 17, citing encroachment on forest land. The notice, which was dated August 16, allowed the family until August 20 to vacate the premises. Despite this, the authorities proceeded with the demolition on the same day, prompting criticism.
According to the PUCL’s letter, the demolition was an “unjust” and “discriminatory” action, as it targeted only the accused’s family in an area with numerous similar constructions. The organization argued that the family was denied the opportunity to seek redress from the court, thus violating their fundamental rights and principles of natural justice.
The PUCL has urged Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava to intervene, demanding the rehabilitation of the affected family and accountability for the officials responsible for the demolition. They also called for the high court to oversee the investigation of the stabbing case, citing concerns of bias within the local police and administration.
The stabbing incident, which involved a 15-year-old Muslim boy and his Hindu classmate, has further intensified communal tensions in Udaipur. Following the incident, local Hindu groups protested, leading to market closures, arson and stone-pelting. In response, authorities imposed a curfew and temporarily suspended internet services to curb the spread of misinformation.
Reports indicate that the family of the accused was tenants, and the demolition was carried out by a joint team from the forest department and the Udaipur Municipal Corporation. The landlord reportedly failed to provide ownership documents, which led to the decision to demolish the property.
Bulldozer Justice
This case has drawn attention to a troubling trend of “bulldozer justice” seen across several states, where demolitions and forced evictions are used as punitive measures, often in the context of communal disputes and allegations of encroachment. This approach has been notably associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments’ handling of justice and enforcement.
Initially observed in Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who earned the nickname “Bulldozer Baba”, the concept of ‘bulldozer justice’ has now extended to Assam, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Characterized by demolitions in the wake of communal riots and forced evictions due to encroachment claims, this approach has come to symbolise the administration’s method of dispensing justice during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi era.