Shield against inhumanity

A bench of the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, took a strong stand against the practice of "bulldozer justice"—a term referred to the demolition of homes of alleged offenders without following due process.

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The apex court has dubbed such a practice as a misuse of power that should have no place in a democracy. Sadly, while the judiciary has stepped in late, the trend of bulldozer injustice has already rankled a significant number of marginalized Indians, however gross and illogical it may seem. While the judiciary came in to check the misuse of power by the executive, a costly delay was already there on account of seemingly absurd executive actions.

At the centre of the case was a family in Uttar Pradesh that saw their home destroyed by the state for a minor encroachment of less than four square meters in 2019. The demolition happened without notice or legal process, leaving the family in a shattered state. The Supreme Court has rightly ordered Rs 25 lakh in compensation and an inquiry into the officials responsible for this unlawful act. This, however, is not the story of a single family.