The Allahabad High Court has intervened to stop the scheduled demolition of 48 residential and commercial properties in the Dibiyapur area of Auraiya district. In a special administrative session held just hours before bulldozers were set to move in, the court ordered a status quo on the disputed land, providing temporary relief to local residents and shopkeepers.
The division bench of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Vivek Varma passed the order following an urgent mention made before the Chief Justice on April 15. The petitioners had moved the court to prevent the demolition drive, which was slated to begin at 6:00 AM on April 16 in the Nahar Bazar area.
The legal battle centers on a writ petition challenging a government order dated September 30, 2025. The petitioners, representing the owners of the 48 houses and shops, sought to restrain state authorities from evicting them or dispossessing them of their properties.
Given the “imminent” nature of the demolition, the High Court constituted a special bench through an administrative order on April 15 to hear the matter before the scheduled action could take place.
Counsel for the petitioners argued that the authorities acted without proper consideration of the facts. He submitted that while relevant documents proving their claims to the land were provided, these were ignored when the impugned order for demolition was passed. The counsel emphasized that any demolition at this stage would result in “irreparable loss” to the families and business owners involved.
Conversely, the state counsel opposed the stay, asserting that the administration had followed due process. The state argued that the petitioners were given “adequate opportunities” to present their case during the initial proceedings but failed to appear, leaving the authorities with no legal alternative but to proceed with the eviction.
After hearing both sides, the bench determined that the state government must file a formal response (counter affidavit) to address the petitioners’ claims. The court noted that a stay was necessary to preserve the current state of the properties until the legal issues are clarified.
“A counter affidavit from the state government is necessary,” the court observed, directing the state to file its response within one week.
The matter has been listed for a fresh hearing before the appropriate bench on April 29, 2024. Until then, the authorities are prohibited from carrying out any demolition or eviction activities at the site.
