Ahmedabad (Gujarat), April 29, 2025 (ANI): As 18 petitioners seeking an urgent hearing from Gujarat HC to bring a stay on the massive demolition drive at Ahmedabad’s Chandola Lake, Advocate Anand Yagnik on April 29 said that Gujarat High Court refused to grant interim relief against demolition on the ground. He also said that the court is not inclined to grant any interim protection against the demolition and permission to the petitioner to stay near the lake.“High Court of Gujarat, while dealing with petition of 18 citizens, majority of them are women, have refused to grant interim relief against demolition on the ground that these petitioners are apparently on the water body. Therefore, the judgment against demolition passed by the Supreme Court will not apply to them. They do not have any permission to put up construction on government land, which is otherwise a water body. Therefore, the court is not inclined to grant any interim protection against the demolition and permission to the petitioner to stay near the lake...,” said Advocate Anand Yagnik.
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00:00Essentially, the High Court of Gujarat, while dealing with petition of 18 citizens, majority
00:08of them are women, have refused to grant interim relief against demolition on the ground that
00:16these petitioners are apparently on the water body.
00:20And therefore, the judgment against demolition passed by Honorable Supreme Court of India
00:26by a bench headed by Honorable Justice Gawai will not be applicable to them, one.
00:32And two, that they do not have any permission to put up construction on a government land
00:38which is otherwise a water body.
00:40And therefore, the court is not inclined to grant any interim protection against the demolition
00:47and a permission to the petitioner to stay there in the vicinity of the lake.
00:53As far as the rehabilitation and resettlement is concerned, the court has given direction
00:58that if an application is made with all the necessary details to substantiate that they
01:04have been staying much prior to 2010 and for a long period of time and they are part of
01:11the slum, then the competent authority shall consider their case and will provide an alternative
01:18accommodation to them.
01:20So these are the two issues that they have dealt with.
01:23Much has been said about security of the state in the context of Pahlgaon.
01:27Much is said that this Chandola Lake area is a hub of illegal activities.
01:33We have categorically stated that against these 18 petitioners there is not a single FIR.
01:40There is no process against them to declare them illegal citizens.
01:45There is no allegation against them.
01:47Therefore, to say now suddenly to brandize a particular segment of the society residing
01:56in the vicinity of Chandola Lake that these are Bangladeshis, they are indulging into illegal
02:01activities, that illegal activity is a threat to the law and order.
02:05It is a threat to the security of the state.
02:07The court has very bluntly said the court will not go into the aspect of intelligence, security
02:16of the state, illegal activities and so and so forth.
02:19The court is only confined to one issue whether you should be permitted to stay there and demolition
02:27should be stayed or not at the moment and two whether you are entitled to alternative
02:32accommodation or not.
02:34These are the two issues on which the court has passed an interim order.
02:38The final hearing will take place after the petitioners submit their rejoinder because state
02:46did not grant or give a reply well in time.
02:49Of course, we moved the petition at night at 12 and Honorable Chief Justice of Gujarat High
02:54Court was pleased to grant us a hearing on a holiday in an emergency manner and we are very
03:03much obliged to the audience that is granted by the court and the intervention by the court.
03:09We have not been granted interim protection that is the discretion of the court but with
03:14regard to rehabilitation and resettlement we are grateful to the court.