Uttar Pradesh: Bahraich shopkeepers get eviction notices, anticipate bulldozer action

Several shopkeepers in the Maharajganj village, in Uttar Pradesh’ Bahraich district, have begun emptying their establishments for fear of a demolition drive, reported PTI on Sunday.

Twenty-three establishments have received eviction notices from the state Public Works Department, out of which 20 belong to Muslims. The notices directed the owners of the properties to vacate them in three days.

According to India Today, some of the shopkeepers voluntarily demolished portions of their establishments that were deemed to be illegal.

One of the shops that received an eviction notice belongs to 62-year-old jeweller Abdul Hameed, who was allegedly involved in the killing of a 22-year-old Hindu man named Ram Gopal Mishra last Sunday. Hameed’s three sons have also been accused in the case, reported The Indian Express.

Mishra died reportedly of a gunshot wound after clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups during a Durga Puja procession.

There are no provisions in Indian law that allow for the destruction of property as a punitive action against someone accused of a crime. The practice has, however, become common in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The notice to Hameed stated that his property was “illegal” for being within 60 feet of a road median, reported PTI. District Magistrate Monika Rani said that “encroachments” were being removed to widen roads.

“People are vacating their shops,” said Sureshwar...

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