The Bombay High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Central Railway (CR) concerning a petition that challenges the proposed demolition of slums on railway land in Vidya Vihar East, Mumbai. The division bench, consisting of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale, emphasized the necessity for the railway authorities to adhere to the Supreme Court’s guidelines regarding eviction and rehabilitation.
The petition was initiated by Banjara Seva Sangh, a public charitable trust, alongside 104 other petitioners. They are contesting an eviction notice issued by the Central Railway on January 30, 2024. According to the petitioners, represented by advocates Samir A Vaidya, Aditya Parmar, and Zainab Khan, the railway authorities have not developed any resettlement plans for those living in makeshift homes on the railway property, despite clear directives from a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that mandates rehabilitation prior to eviction.
The legal challenge, filed on March 18, 2025, seeks to invalidate the eviction notice on the grounds that it was issued without providing the residents an opportunity to be heard or to present relevant documentation. The petitioners argue that this lack of due process violates the principles of natural justice.
Detailing the background, the petition describes how the residents, who have been living adjacent to the central railway line at Vidya Vihar for over four decades, first received an eviction notice on February 14, 2022. This notice demanded that they vacate the land within 15 days. In response, the residents submitted proof of occupation and possession to the railway authorities, which was apparently disregarded. A subsequent order on March 26, 2022, branded the petitioners as unauthorized occupants.
Despite ongoing efforts to engage with local political representatives and railway officials, the community was informed in March 2025 of an imminent demolition scheduled for February 22, 2025, at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus area in Kurla.
