The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a contempt petition filed against the Uttar Pradesh authorities for allegedly violating the apex court's verdict on demolition of properties.
In his plea, businessman Mohd Ghayoor said a part of his factory at Tiwari Sarai in Sambhal was bulldozed without prior notice.
A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K. Vinod Chandran asked the petitioner to approach Allahabad High Court for appropriate relief.
Advocate Chand Qureshi, who appeared for Ghayoor, submitted that the demolition was carried out in violation of the apex court's November 23 verdict that laid down pan-India guidelines and barred demolition of properties without a prior showcause notice and 15 days to the aggrieved party to respond.
"The petitioner and his family members had all the necessary documents, approved maps and other related documents of the property but the contemnors came to the premises of the petitioner property and started demolishing the said property," Qureshi said.
The petitioner claimed the authorities must be held in contempt for failing to comply with the guidelines.
"We find that the issue can be best addressed by the jurisdictional high court. We, therefore, dispose of the present petition with liberty to the petitioner to approach the jurisdictional high court," Justice Gavai, heading the bench, observed.
After the order was dictated, Qureshi said: "In the meantime, third-party interest may not be created in my property."
"Go and file a prosecution. We had issued all necessary directions," the bench said.