New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday directed that status quo should be maintained for 10 days with regards to demolition drive being carried out by Railway authorities to clear encroachments near Krishna Janambhoomi in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
A bench headed by justice Aniruddha Bose and comprising justices Sanjay Kumar and S V N Bhatti said, "Let there be status quo as regards the subject premises for a period of 10 days. List after a week...".
The top court issued notice to Centre and railways in the matter. The railways were clearing encroachments behind the temple complex, part of the efforts to convert an existing metre gauge railway track to a broad-gauge track, to facilitate a connection between Mathura and Vrindavan.
Petitioners led by Yakub Shah said the action, when an appeal against the demolition is pending before Mathura civil court, it is absolutely illegal, arbitrary and in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution. The area primarily consists of residential structures.
Senior advocate P C Sen, representing the petitioner, argued before the top court that this is a demolition matter near Krishna Janmabhoomi, where many houses have already been bulldozed.
The counsel submitted that the Railways had conducted the exercise on a day when the Uttar Pradesh courts were closed, while seeking intervention from the apex court in the matter.
The top court was hearing a plea challenging the demolition drive by Railway authorities to clear encroachments near Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura.
The matter was mentioned before the top court on Monday afternoon for an urgent listing. The counsel had stated that the exercise was against a proposed demolition drive in Krishna Janam Bhoomi, which is sub-judice.
"Today, unfortunately, all courts in UP have been shut because of the shooting of a lawyer." The counsel said both the High Court and the district courts were unavailable and that 3,000 people who have been living there since the 1800s would be affected in the eviction exercise of the Railway authorities.
