An ongoing demolition drive in Haryana's Nuh district was halted on Monday following a Punjab and Haryana High Court order. The HC also asked if the move was an “exercise of ethnic cleansing” and issued a notice of motion to the state government. Violent communal clashes had shaken Haryana last week, killing six people and injuring many others.
“Apparently, without any demolition orders and notices, the law and order problem is being used as a ruse to bring down buildings without following the procedure established by law. The issue also arises whether the buildings belonging to a particular community are being brought down under the guise of law and order problem and an exercise of ethnic cleansing is being conducted by the State,” the court said.
A total of 312 people have been arrested and 106 taken into preventive detention in connection with the communal clashes. Authorities in Nuh have also razed several "illegally-constructed" structures over the past few days.
Following the clashes the Nuh district administration had launched a drive and started razing down illegal structures and buildings including those from where stones were allegedly pelted on a religious procession.
Officials said that around 162 permanent and 591 raw structures have been demolished in Nuh district till Monday. Illegal constructions have been removed from 57.5 acres of land at 37 places in the violence-hit region.
"About 176 demolition cases have come to light. If the High Court had not taken cognizance, the number could have increased. More complaints are being filed, the petitioners are coming forward. At present, the government needs to see that the people whose houses were destroyed are rehabilitated," Mohammad Arshad - the lawyer of the victims - was quoted as saying by PTI on Monday.
(With inputs from agencies)
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