SC to Hear Plea Challenging Demolition of Sarva Sewa Sangh Building on July 10

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea on July 10 challenging the decision of the Varanasi district magistrate to demolish a building owned by the Sarva Sewa Sangh.

The Sarva Sewa Sangh is a society dedicated to promoting Gandhian values.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha acknowledged advocate Prashant Bhushan’s submissions. They directed Bhushan to inform the district magistrate that the Supreme Court would hear the plea on Monday, ensuring that no demolition of the structure takes place in the meantime.

During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan highlighted that the Sarva Sewa Sangh was founded in 1948 by Acharya Vinoba Bhave with the aim of promoting the ideals and principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Bhushan emphasized that the local administration is currently seeking to demolish the building associated with the organization. He requested an urgent hearing and an interim order to halt the proposed demolition of the structure.

“We will list it for hearing on Monday (July 10),” the CJI stated.

Previously, the Sarva Sewa Sangh had filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court challenging a demolition notice issued by the Northern Railways. The notice sought to demolish structures constructed on a 12.90-acre plot in Varanasi district.

The organization claimed that it had acquired the land for its premises in Varanasi’s ‘Pargana Dehat’ through three registered sale deeds in 1960, 1961, and 1970 from the central government.

The dispute between the organization and the Northern Railways was referred to the district magistrate by the high court for resolution. Subsequently, the district magistrate issued a notice regarding the demolition of the structure. The magistrate’s decision was based on the claim that the land was recorded as belonging to the Railways according to revenue records.