The Jharkhand High Court has directed the Ranchi district administration not to take coercive action against settlers facing eviction in the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) area until December 31, while giving them the same period to remove the alleged encroachments themselves.
A bench headed by Justice Ananda Sen passed the direction on Friday while hearing a petition filed by residents affected by the anti-encroachment drive along HEC Bypass Road.
The court directed Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri and Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan to refrain from coercive action against the settlers until the end of December. At the same time, it asked the occupants to clear the encroachments within the stipulated period.
The bench took into account the upcoming festive season while granting temporary protection from immediate administrative action.
Following the High Court’s direction, the ongoing anti-encroachment operation along HEC Bypass Road has been suspended.
Administration Had Begun Clearance Drive On Tuesday
The Ranchi district administration had launched the clearance operation on Tuesday against alleged illegal constructions standing on land belonging to HEC and the Railways.
Officials, magistrates and police personnel were deployed for the demolition and eviction proceedings in the identified areas.
The action prompted protests from local residents whose houses and establishments were covered by the clearance exercise. Protesters alleged that the eviction process had been initiated without adequate arrangements for their rehabilitation.
Residents Sought Additional Time From Court
The affected residents approached the High Court seeking protection against the ongoing eviction exercise.
During the hearing, counsel representing the petitioners urged the court to restrain the district administration from continuing with the eviction and sought additional time to allow residents to remove the structures themselves.
The High Court subsequently granted protection against coercive action until December 31, but made it clear that the settlers must remove the encroachments within that period.
The dispute concerns alleged encroachments on government land along HEC Bypass Road, where the district administration had recently started the clearance operation.
