SC Halts Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi Demolition For 10 Days

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo for a period of 10 days in connection to a demolition drive being carried out by the railway authorities to clear illegal encroachments near the Krishna Janmabhoomi in UP’s Mathura.

A bench comprising of Justices Aniruddha Bose, Sanjay Kumar and SVN Bhatti issued notice to the Centre and Railways on the matter and stated that it would hear the case again after a week.

The bench stated, “Let there be status quo as regards the subject premises for a period of 10 days. List after one week.”

Petitioners have demanded a halt to the demolition process undertaken by railway authorities and Mathura. The petitioner mentioned before the top Court that a civil suit has been filed in front of the Civil Court Senior Division in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, seeking a permanent injunction against the Railway Authority.

However, despite this, the demolition work commenced on August 9, 2023.

The petitioners have stated that the actions of the state and the railway in demolishing homes are completely illegal and arbitrary. They have also claimed a violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

During the previous hearing, the petitioners told the Supreme Court that they have exhausted all attempts to advance the matter in front of the Civil Court and High Court, but due to court closures, they were unable to progress the matter there and were compelled to knock on the doors of the apex court.

The petitioners stated in court that this action would result in the demolition of over 200 homes and consequently affect around 3000 people.

The petitioners then argued that they have nowhere else to go, as they have been residing at this location for over 100 years.