By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun/ New Delhi, 10 Dec: The Supreme Court did not take up the Banbhoolpura railway land encroachment case of Haldwani, Nainital district, today as scheduled, since the court of the Chief Justice of India remained occupied for almost the entire day with another matter. Owing to the pre-listed cases, particularly an extended debate on serial number 15, the hearing on the Banbhoolpura case could not be held. According to the lawyers, the Banbhoolpura case was listed at serial number 23 today.
As per the information available on the Supreme Court’s official website, the matter is now likely to be listed on 16 December. The adjournment of the hearing, which has remained a major point of discussion in Uttarakhand and particularly in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani, has once again created an atmosphere of anticipation. Local residents, the administration and the legal representatives are now focused on the likely hearing on 16 December in the hope that the direction of the case will become clearer.
It may be recalled that the case pertains to the encroachment of approximately 30 hectares of railway land in Banbhoolpura. In anticipation of a verdict today, the law and order arrangements had been tightened since yesterday itself. The Police Administration had converted Banbhoolpura into a cantonment-like zone, deploying forces from other districts along with the district police in the encroached area. The entire locality was placed under close surveillance through intelligence networks, drone cameras and CCTV systems. The administration has divided the area into four sectors and deployed around 500 police personnel. The locality comprises of 3,660 pucca and kaccha houses, accommodating more than 5,200 families. It is estimated that nearly 50,000 people could be affected depending on the Supreme Court’s decision. As a precaution, the District Police had intensified checking drives at barriers, main roads and sensitive locations, while all entry and exit points are under strict monitoring. Foot patrols have been increased in the inner parts of the city, and the police and the Railway Department are closely monitoring every movement with four drone cameras.
It may be reminded here that the Supreme Court was initially expected to pronounce its judgement on 2 December, and the administration had made comprehensive preparations for the anticipated verdict. However, owing to certain reasons, the matter was adjourned to 10 December. However, despite being listed for today, no hearing could be held today. Now, according to lawyers associated with the case, the next hearing is likely to be held on 16 December, and the District Administration has again undertaken preparations for deployment. It may be recalled that in anticipation of a possible judgement today, the District and Police Administration conducted a flag march in the area with 500 police personnel, during which appeals were made to the residents of Banbhoolpura to maintain peace and respect the Court’s decision. The administration has stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and that any miscreants will be dealt with firmly.
The matter originated when a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Nainital High Court in 2022 concerning alleged encroachments in Banbhoolpura. In 2023, the High Court ordered the removal of encroachments, pursuant to which the administration, along with the Railway Department, attempted a joint removal exercise. Strong resistance from local residents led to the matter being taken to the Supreme Court, where it has remained pending.
