Allahabad court cancels Ghaziabad demolition order

The Allahabad High Court has canceled a demolition order from the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) against a man named Krishnaveer. The court ruled that the order was illegal and unclear. On March 7, GDA officials arrived at Krishnaveer's home in Basantpur Sainthli village with a bulldozer, claiming his house was illegal. Krishnaveer quickly went to court for help. During a hearing on March 18, the court determined that Krishnaveer's house was built before the area was brought under GDA control. Thus, the demolition order was invalid. Krishnaveer explained that his house is on khasra number 182, which was under local governance before GDA took over in August 2022. He argued that he never received a notice about the alleged illegal construction or a chance to defend himself before the demolition order was issued. GDA officials claimed they had sent a show cause notice and held a hearing, but the court found that the order did not specify key dates, making it difficult to verify their claims. The court noted these procedural failures were serious violations of justice. In its judgment, the court stated the GDA could take further legal steps but must do so properly according to the law. GDA's media coordinator said they would follow the court's orders and seek a way to move forward with the case.