Court stays demolition of vikhroli slums

Mumbai: In a huge relief for over 500 slum dwellers living at Vikhroli, the Bombay high court has restrained the mangroves cell from demolishing the slums till the dwellers get a chance to prove their claims of having been there since before 2000.

  The mangroves cell had already demolished 260 out of the 800 slums in a bid to free-up forest land that was encroached when the court stayed the demolition. As the issue needs to be heard by the regular court, the stay has been granted till June 6 when the regular court will hear the matter and decide on whether the slums should stay or go.

A vacation bench of Justice P.D. Naik and Nitin Sambre was hearing a petition filed by NGO, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, informing the court that the mangroves cell had started demolishing homes without prior notice. As the fundamental and constitutional rights of the residents were being violated, the petition sought a stay on the demolition.

Advocate Mathews Nedumpara appearing for the petitioner further argued that with the summer heat and the impending monsoon, the mangroves cell had been inhuman and in taking such a brash step without considering the wellbeing of people living in these homes. He argued that as the cell had not followed procedure and for the sake of justice, the court should direct the demolition to stop.