Allegations of cow slaughter, alleged attack on police personnel, and murder charges – these are some of the crimes that qualified for demolishing at least 37 houses of undertrial accused across Madhya Pradesh in the month of June alone. 'Bulldozer action', which colloquially refers to the use of heavy machinery by the state to demolish houses or shops of alleged miscreants or gangsters, has been used extensively in Madhya Pradesh over the past few years – first under the leadership of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and now under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. In February 2024, reacting strongly to the bulldozing of houses of the accused in criminal cases, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had remarked that it has become "fashionable" for civic authorities to demolish houses without following due procedure.
Instead of demolishing the houses, orders should be given to regularise the constructions, the court had said, adding that "demolition should be the last resort, that too after giving the homeowner a reasonable opportunity to get it regularised". Here's a look at the incidents recorded in June. ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD 1 June, Bhopal On 17 May, Surendra Kushwaha, an office bearer of the BJP Yuva Morcha, was stabbed to death at the gate of the Bhopal Central Jail.
While eight accused have been arrested and are facing trial, the house of one accused Tanjeel Khan was demolished on 1 June, citing illegal construction of a three-storey house without clearance from the.
.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720&w=1200)
