- Petitions were filed after demolitions in BJP-ruled states.
- Human rights groups and opposition parties denounced this practice.
- The BJP governments reject the allegations and say the properties are in violation.
MUMBAI: India's Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed states that were demolishing properties of suspected criminals, a practice critics say primarily targets the Muslim minority, and issued guidelines to authorities.
The verdict came in response to many petitions filed after demolitions in states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in recent years.
BJP governments in states have demolished what they say are illegal houses or shops of people accused of crimes, many of them Muslims, in what has become popularly known as “instant, bulldozer justice”.
Human rights groups and opposition parties have denounced the practice, saying it mainly targets poor Muslims and bypasses the judicial process.
The BJP governments rejected the allegations, saying such properties violated local laws and the owners had been served with notices.
On Wednesday, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the state and its officials cannot take arbitrary action against suspects or convicts without following due process of law.
It also established guidelines, including issuing advance notice and video recording the demolition process.
“It is not a pleasant sight to see women, children and the elderly dragged into the streets during the night. The sky would not fall on the authorities if they held their hands for a while,” the court stated.
There was no immediate reaction to the BJP verdict.
