Assam High Court declares demolition of 73 Muslim families' homes illegal
The Gauhati High Court ruled that the September 7 bulldozing of homes belonging to 73 Bengali Muslim families in Goalpara was unauthorized and breached natural justice.
On September 7, Goalpara district officials razed the dwellings of 73 Bengali Muslim families that had been constructed on privately owned agricultural plots. The Gauhati High Court found the action unauthorized, citing the 2015 state land reclassification that allows a one-bigha plot to be used for a two-storey personal home without prior approval. The court criticized the September 5 notice for denying the residents any opportunity to be heard and for lacking proof of an imminent danger that would justify invoking the Disaster Management Act.
In a September 11 order, the court demanded a report explaining the rationale behind the demolitions, describing the move as a prima facie illegal misuse of disaster powers. The ruling comes amid a pattern of demolition operations across Assam since the Bharatiya Janata Party assumed power in 2016, predominantly affecting Bengali-speaking Muslim communities.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights potential abuse of state power and raises concerns about minority rights and legal safeguards in Assam.
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