Today, On 12th June, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan said he will move the Supreme Court against the DDA’s property demarcation in Batla House, Okhla. He claimed the move is unfair and has affected many local residents in the area.
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan announced on Thursday that he plans to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) property demarcation in the Batla House area of Okhla.
This decision comes after a Division Bench of the High Court allowed affected residents three days to file individual writ petitions.
Khan’s announcement follows his withdrawal of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) from the Delhi High Court that aimed to halt the DDA’s demolition actions.
Speaking to media, Khan stated,
“The Division Bench has given time for the affected parties to file their writ individually within three days. We have also withdrawn our PIL. People have been living there since 1971, and you suddenly declared it unauthorised and separated it from the PM-UDAY scheme.”
He added,
“The manner in which DDA wants to demolish this entire area is beyond my understanding… The demarcation done by them is not accurate. I withdrew my plea because I will challenge the demarcation before the Supreme Court.”
Khan withdrew his PIL on Wednesday to inform local residents about filing their petitions.
The Delhi High Court’s division bench, consisting of Justices Girish Kathpalia and Tejas Karia, permitted this withdrawal and suggested that individual residents pursue their grievances in court.
At the hearing’s start, the High Court noted that some individuals had already received protection after submitting their petitions. The court emphasized that any negative ruling on the PIL could affect the rights of these individuals who had previously approached a single-judge bench.
The High Court reiterated that any aggrieved individual could file a petition, similar to those who had already done so, clarifying that this issue was not part of the PIL. Khan’s initial PIL challenged a notice from the DDA regarding the demolition of alleged illegal properties in Batla House.
The land in question measures approximately 2.8 bighas or 0.702 hectares, and is located along Muradi Road in Okhla village.
The High Court, on monday, denied an immediate interim stay on the proposed demolition, scheduled for June 11. Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to grant relief on May 7, directing the demolition of illegal properties.
Senior advocate Salman Khurshid represented the petitioner and argued that the DDA was issuing notices for properties beyond khasra no. 279, while the Supreme Court’s order pertained only to illegal properties within that khasra.
In response, the DDA’s counsel argued that the PIL was not maintainable, as the Supreme Court had specifically instructed individual aggrieved persons to seek legal remedies. They also stated that the notices issued were not generic and complied with Supreme Court directives, allowing 15 days for responses before any demolition could occur.
The Delhi High Court, in a previous order dated June 5, refused to grant any relief in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan challenging the demolition drive in the Batla House area, which was scheduled for the same day.
The Court observed that some residents had already sought legal remedy and received relief. A single-judge bench had earlier passed a status quo order protecting certain properties in the area.
Additionally, on June 4, interim protection was granted to another similarly-situated property in the Batla House locality.
Case Title: Amantullah Khan vs Delhi Development Authority & Anr.]
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