UP: Advocates’ Group Files Plea in Allahabad HC Against Muslim Activist’s House Demolition

Prayagraj: A body of advocates in Prayagaraj has e-mailed a petition to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court against the demolition of a house of the alleged “mastermind” of the June 10 violence here by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA).

The building map of the house of Muslim activist Javed Mohammad had not been approved by the PDA, according to an official of the agency.

Five advocates from an association, Zila Adhivakta Manch, claimed in the petition that the owner of the house, demolished on Sunday, was Javed's wife Parveen Fatima.

The said house was given to Fatima by her parents before her marriage, so Javed had no ownership over the house and on the plot, hence the demolition was against the law, claimed the plea which was e-mailed to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court on Sunday.

The petition also said that in order to justify the demolition, the PDA had pasted a notice on the house on June 11, mentioning about a show-cause notice of a previous date. Neither Javed nor his wife had got the show-cause notice, it claimed.

The petition stated that "social worker" Javed was arrested on the night of June 10, and an FIR was registered against him at Khuldabad police station on June 11.

The advocates who have filed the petition include KK Rai, Mohammad Saeed Siddiqui, Rajvendra Singh, Prabal Pratap, Ravindra Singh and others.

"Police personnel and a JCB machine reached the Kareli police station around 10.30 am and the demolition commenced around 1 pm," a senior PDA official had said on Sunday.

 "The house was built without getting its map passed by the PDA. For this, he was issued a notice on May 10 and was told to present his side on May 24. On the given date, neither Javed nor his lawyer turned up. No document was presented as well, and hence on May 25, demolition orders were issued," he said.

Speaking to PTI, Superintendent of Police (City) Dinesh Kumar Singh on Sunday had said, "In the morning, some of Javed's family members collected a few of their belongings and left the place through the back door. As of now, no one is inside the house." 

Senior Superintendent of Police, Prayagraj, Ajay Kumar said the estimated value of the house was Rs 5 crore.

During the demolition, he said, the police also searched the house and found many objectionable items which were seized. These will be included in the investigation. 

The development comes a day after the illegal properties of two persons accused of rioting were bulldozed in Saharanpur, which witnessed stone pelting on Friday.

According to police, Javed is the alleged “mastermind” of the stone pelting that took place here on June 10 after protests against the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma spun out of control.

A mob set on fire a few motorcycles and carts and also attempted to set ablaze a police vehicle. Police used tear gas and lathis to disperse the protesters and restore peace. A policeman was injured in the violence.

The protests were also held in at least four other cities of Uttar Pradesh.

The row over the remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated last week as several Muslim countries denounced them, prompting the BJP to suspend Sharma.