The Supreme Court has asked the people who have been affected by the eviction drive conducted in the greater Dhalpur area of Assam’s Darrang district to approach the High Court for rehabilitation purpose.
The petitioners were represented by Senior Advocate CU Singh, who apprised the bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud about 22 bullets being pumped into the chest of a person who had objected to the eviction drive.
He added that people have now started getting used to such things, to which the CJI said that the lawyer should not turn this into a political speech and submit the facts.
The Bench, also comprising Justice Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra, further opined that as the eviction had taken place, the question now was of rehabilitation.
The counsel said it has become a trend now to take out a bulldozer and execute demolition.
The CJI refused to accept this submission and replied, “You are also placing premium on people who take public property in their own hands.. the petitioner is the member of opposition political party, he is coming now after eight months..Let High Court take note of this…”
The state government of Assam had undertaken an initiative to set up a community farming project in Assam. An eviction drive, backed by heavy security arrangements, was therefore conducted on September 20 and 23. Notably, mosques and madrasa were demolished during the drive.
After a person protesting against the drive lost his life following a run in with the police, the eviction drive was kept in abeyance for a few days but the government asserted that it will not be stopped.