Bulldozers roll through Varanasi despite court order, APCR accuses authorities of defying law

Despite having a High Court directive prohibiting running bulldozers over properties, including homes and shops, in Varanasi’s historic Dal Mandi market as part of a road-widening project, the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) continued the demolition process without due process, including fair compensation and consent, drawing condemnation from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR).

APCR accused the VDA and local police of defying the Allahabad High Court’s explicit orders that barred any demolition or dispossession unless procedures under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 were duly followed.

The group alleged that the authorities carried out bulldozer operations in violation of these legal provisions, disregarding both procedural safeguards and the rights of residents and traders who have occupied the market for generations.

The dispute originated from a May 20 affidavit filed by the Varanasi District Magistrate, which stated that the Dal Mandi Road expansion would proceed only through mutual consent or lawful acquisition.

The assurance given to the court had affirmed that no demolition or dispossession would take place without fair compensation or the consent of the affected parties. However, despite this undertaking, APCR claimed that demolition activities resumed without prior notice or adherence to the required legal processes.

On September 8, the High Court issued an order restraining the Public Works Department, Municipal Corporation, and the District Magistrate from demolishing or dispossessing any property without following the mandated procedure.

APCR maintained that the officials ignored this order when they, along with the police, reportedly issued verbal demolition instructions on October 31 and began razing buildings even as residents presented stay orders issued by the court. The absence of written notices and the initiation of demolitions despite judicial directions have raised serious concerns about administrative overreach and contempt of court.

A formal complaint filed by the association on November 1, seeking an inquiry into the VDA’s conduct, was allegedly disregarded, and nighttime bulldozer operations were reported to have resumed on November 10, further intensifying fear among traders and residents. The organisation stated that these acts amounted to a violation of constitutional protections, depriving citizens of both property rights and procedural justice.