Hit by violence, Bahraich village now on edge over bulldozer threat

Among those successful the crosshairs is Azizur Rehman (58), whose 22-year-old lad was arrested connected October 14 successful transportation with the violence. On October 18, the announcement was posted extracurricular the woody doorway of his single-storey location and cosmetics shop.

The notice, which helium claims incorrectly names him arsenic Shamshuddin, said helium had 3 days to region the constructions, failing which the structures would beryllium demolished.

On Wednesday, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, wherever the demolitions were challenged, posted the lawsuit for proceeding connected November 4. This came aft the Supreme Court, which is besides proceeding the case, stayed the demolition for a day.

But with the sword hanging implicit their heads, galore residents and store owners person already near the country successful anticipation of bulldozers. When The Indian Express visited, respective houses were locked. Those who inactive stay person withdrawn their belongings to 1 portion of the house.

“The time aft the violence, the constabulary raided my location and took my son. While I was trying to stitchery accusation astir him, I recovered a demolition announcement connected my beforehand door. Similar notices were posted connected my neighbours’ houses,” Rehman, who claims to person been surviving successful his location for the past 5 decades, says.

Scenes from Bahraich aft the communal clashes. (Express Photo)

The roadworthy connected which the 23 houses are located was astatine the epicentre of the Durga Puja unit connected October 13, erstwhile a spiritual procession was passing done the road. The clashes near 1 person, identified arsenic Ram Gopal Mishra, dormant and respective wounded.

A full of 14 FIRs person been registered successful transportation with the violence, with implicit 80 radical arrested. Since then, respective young men person near the area, residents say.

According to residents, each 23 notices were likewise worded: that their constructions stood wrong 60 feet of the centre of the MDR and were truthful deemed illegal. Residents had 3 days to furnish impervious that the constructions were done with support from the territory magistrate, failing which the properties would beryllium torn down, and costs recovered from owners. It is unclear precisely however galore of those radical who person been arrested person been issued these notices.

According to departmental standards, immoderate operation wrong 60 feet of the MDR’s centre successful agrarian areas is deemed illegal. MDR roads are meant to heighten proscription and connectivity for some agrarian and municipality areas, ensuring businesslike question of goods and people. Since it is simply a PWD road, each decisions concerning it are made by the department. All 23 houses are located connected some sides of the road, wrong a 300-metre radius.

Among those served specified a announcement was Abdul Hameed, the premier accused successful the case. Hameed and his 3 sons were arrested past week successful transportation with the sidesplitting of 22-year-old Mishra. According to residents, the notices were issued sequentially, opening with Hameed’s house.

Hameed’s 45-year-old neighbour Moon Jaiswal is 1 of 3 Hindus homes to person been served the demolition notice. Jaiswal’s 2 brothers and their families person received akin notices.

Most shops successful Bahraich proceed to stay closed. (Express Photo)

According to Jaiswal, his location was built implicit fractional a decennary ago. Since helium received the notice, helium has vacated his confectionary store successful beforehand of his home, helium says, adding: “We were not progressive successful the violence, yet we are being punished for surviving adjacent to Abdul Hameed’s house.”

Nearby, Momina Khatoon (68), whose 3 nephews were arrested during the violence, asks each passerby, “What judgments person the Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court passed regarding the demolition notices?”

“Where volition I instrumentality my household of 14 if the authorities demolishes our house? We’ve been surviving present for astir six decades,” she claims.

Officials from the gross section and the PWD, calling the timing of these notices “a coincidence”, claimed that the properties were already earmarked for demolition.

“The roadworthy was antecedently classified arsenic an different territory roadworthy (ODR) but was reclassified arsenic MDR astir 2 and a fractional years ago. The buildings on the Maharajganj roadworthy person ne'er applied for location representation approval, truthful the nonstop width recorded is chartless to them (the residents). If immoderate support had been requested, we would person informed residents to support a region of 60 feet from the centre of the roadworthy erstwhile constructing their homes. While it is simply a coincidence that the notices were issued soon aft the violence, the process of widening the roadworthy has been underway for the past year,” a PWD authoritative said.

Residents assertion that they had documents proving their ownership of the onshore connected which their homes and shops are built. But they besides admit that they had purchased the onshore agelong agone and had not sought support for gathering plans from the authorities.

In an interim bid past month, the Supreme Court had directed that determination should beryllium nary demolition without its support of properties of persons conscionable due to the fact that they are accused of being progressive successful a crime. However, the seat had clarified that the absorption volition not use to removal of unauthorised constructions connected nationalist streets, footpaths, railway lines oregon h2o bodies.