Video of girl running with books during demolition has shocked everybody: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said a recent video of an eight-year-old girl clutching her books and running away as a bulldozer razes her shanty during an anti-encroachment drive in UP had "shocked everybody".

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan mentioned the details of the viral video from Ambedkar Nagar's Jalalpur while hearing a matter of illegal demolition in Prayagraj.

"There is a recent video in which small huts are being demolished by bulldozers. There is a small girl running away from the demolished hut with a clutch of books in her hand. It has shocked everybody," Justice Bhuyan orally remarked.

The footage, which surfaced on social media, also showed an earthmover revving during the drive, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties.

The Ambedkar Nagar Police defended the demolition.

"This action was taken to remove encroachment from the village land, following an ejection order passed by the Jalalpur tehsildar's court. Multiple notices were issued before clearing the non-residential structures. The demolition was carried out in full compliance with the revenue court's order to reclaim government land," they said.

The district administration had been reportedly addressing the encroachment issue for months.

In an order dated October 15, 2024, Jalalpur's sub-divisional magistrate directed the tehsildar to ensure compliance with a previous ruling.

The order referenced a decision from October 10, 2024, under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006, which mandated the eviction of a person named Ram Milan from the disputed land in Arai village.

The encroacher was also fined Rs 1,980 and Rs 800 as execution charges.

The magistrate's order had instructed officials to enforce the ruling within a week.