Gauhati High Court: In a significant decision, the Division Bench of R.M. Chhaya, C.J., and Soumitra Saikia, J., expressed their expectation that State of Assam shall take appropriate decision for compensating the persons affected by the bulldozing of their houses, undertaken illegally by the police personnel of Batadraba Police Station.
A suo motu Public Interest Litigation was registered based on the allegation that house belonging to one of the citizens of Nagaon, was bulldozed by an order dated 13-12-2022
Advocate General, Assam stated before the Court that a Committee consisting of the Chief Secretary of the State of Assam is enquiring into the incidence of bulldozing of the house and appropriate action shall be taken even against the erring officers within a period of 15 days.
The Court, upon being assurance of the fact that the State is now seized of the matter, expressed the prospect of compensating the affected parties and issued directions for the production of a Report of the same before the Court in these proceedings. For now, the Court closed the proceedings with liberty to revive merely by filing a note.
[X v. State, 2023 SCC OnLine Gau 43, decided on 03-01-2023]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
H.K. Das, counsel for the Gauhati High Court;
D. Saikia, Advocate General, Assam assisted by D. Nath, Senior Government Advocate, Assam.
*Sucheta Sarkar, Editorial Assistant has prepared this brief.