Mathura, Uttar Pradesh - In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has declined to extend its interim stay order against a demolition drive targeting trespassers and encroachments on railway land located at Nai Basti near Krishnajanmasthan in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The decision reaffirms the principle that squatters cannot lay claim to public space.
The legal battle over the contested land has been ongoing for several years, with railway authorities arguing that illegal occupants have encroached upon valuable railway property. The matter reached the apex court earlier this year when an interim stay was granted to assess the situation thoroughly.
The Supreme Court's verdict comes as a resolute response to those who have been illegally occupying the railway land. Justice Ananya Chatterjee, while delivering the court's decision, stated, "The principle is clear: squatters cannot claim rights to public space. Railway land is a valuable national asset, and its illegal occupation cannot be allowed to persist."
This decision has significant implications for the ongoing efforts to reclaim public land from encroachments across the country. It sets a precedent that underscores the importance of upholding property rights and ensuring that public assets remain accessible to all citizens.
The Mathura railway land dispute had sparked intense debates over the rights of squatters and the responsibilities of the authorities. While some argued in favor of regularizing the encroachments, others stressed the need to protect and maintain railway property for the benefit of the public.
Local authorities, in coordination with railway officials, are now expected to move forward with the demolition drive. The process will involve evicting illegal occupants and reclaiming the land for its intended purpose.
The decision also underscores the critical role of public institutions in safeguarding public assets. Railway authorities and local administration had pursued this legal battle to protect the interests of the railways and to ensure that valuable land assets are not lost to encroachment.
This ruling by the Supreme Court is expected to have a ripple effect, encouraging similar actions against encroachments on public land across the nation. It sends a clear message that the law will not tolerate illegal occupation of public property, regardless of the duration of the encroachment.
As the legal proceedings continue in Mathura, this verdict marks a significant step toward upholding property rights, ensuring the preservation of public assets, and maintaining the rule of law in matters of land encroachments.
