The Delhi High Court on Tuesday halted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from demolishing two houses linked to suspects in the Uttam Nagar clash that killed 26-year-old Tarun Bhutolia, directing authorities to maintain the status quo until Wednesday.
Justice Amit Bansal heard petitions from Jarina, mother of accused Imran, and Shahnaz, whose children faced police questioning. "Tell them, between now and 4 p.m. and 10.30 a.m. tomorrow when this matter is taken up, nothing should happen," the judge ordered, per Live Law.
The pleas, filed via advocate Divyesh Pratap Singh, claim the homes in JJ Colony, Uttam Nagar—occupied for decades with paid utilities—face arbitrary demolition without notice, violating Supreme Court guidelines on "bulldozer justice" from November 2024. These rules mandate prior notice, hearings, and proportionality, barring punitive actions.
The incident began March 5 as a neighborhood spat over children throwing balloons during Holi, escalating into a scuffle. Police filed an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 110 (attempted culpable homicide) and 3(5) (common intention), confirming no communal angle despite longstanding family feuds over parking and garbage.
Tensions flared March 7 when mobs, allegedly fueled by misinformation from certain groups, vandalized and torched one accused family's home. On March 8, MCD razed "illegal" portions of their three-storey house using bulldozers, without show-cause notice—prompting claims of retaliation tied to the FIR.
Petitioners fear similar fate for Jarina's home, already broken into by crowds, arguing the actions created "terror and insecurity" and smacked of selective justice. Police note the families knew each other for 50 years; critics, including rights groups, decry the swift response against Muslim suspects amid slower action in other cases.
The court will hear the matter again Wednesday.