‘Khoai’ Has No Legal Status: Supreme Court Clears Housing Project Near Visva-Bharati, Quashes Calcutta HC Demolition Order

The Supreme Court set aside the Calcutta High Court’s demolition order and allowed a housing project near Visva-Bharati University, holding that “khoai” is not a recognised land category under West Bengal law. The Court ruled that in the absence of fraud or major illegality, demolition is a harsh measure and imposed a Rs 1 lakh cost on PIL petitioners.