New Delhi: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) authorities on Saturday (March 15) have demolished the “illegally constructed” houses of six out of 14 accused individuals – including a minor – who were arrested for attacking commuters and rioting, which left three injured and several vehicles damaged, as per the local police.
In Amraiwadi and Khokhar localities, the AMC carried out the demolitions amid heavy police presence, with around 700-800 personnel deployed at the sites, a police official told news agency PTI. The attempts made by family members of the accused to disrupt the process failed as they were brought under control by the police.
As per a report by PTI, the violence erupted on Thursday night when a mob of 20 men armed with sticks, swords, and knives vandalised vehicles and beat up people in the Vastral locality. The police registered a first information report based on a complaint by one Alap Soni, who recounted how his family outing turned into a nightmare after being attacked by “anti-social elements”.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, including attempt to murder, unlawful assembly, rioting, and wrongful restraint. As per the report, purported videos of police publicly flogging some of the accused have also surfaced, but deputy commissioner of police Baldev Desai claimed he had no knowledge about this.
Also read: In ‘Bulldozer Action’ Against Minor for Praising Pakistan’s Cricket, a Familiar Name Emerges
In a video conference, Gujarat’s director general of police, Vikas Sahay, instructed top police officials to identify and take strict action against “anti-social elements” within the next 100 hours. The focus was on repeat offenders involved in crimes such as extortion, intimidation, theft, and illegal businesses, including prohibition and gambling. Additionally, authorities were asked to crack down on property-related crimes, including encroachment on government land and illegal construction, as per an official statement.
The authorities were directed to take action against the identified individuals, specifically targeting their illegal activities such as unauthorised construction, land encroachment, and illicit power connections. Moreover, the DGP instructed that if any of these individuals were found to have engaged in illegal activities while out on bail, their bail should be revoked.
Notably, on November 13 last year, the Supreme Court had ruled that it was “totally unconstitutional” to demolish a person’s house without due process of law merely because they were accused or convicted in a criminal case.
