'Tamasha bana diya hai': Patna HC slams police for illegally bulldozing petitioner's house

The furious judge also ordered compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the 'pockets of each' officer to the petitioner

Justice Sandeep Kumar of the Patna High Court rebuked police officers for not following the law after they illegally bulldozed'' the house of a petitioner, Sahyoga Devi on October 15.

According to a report in Live Law, Justice Kumar accused the officers of making a “tamasha" out of the bulldozer action.

“Yahan bhi bulldozer chalne laga… tamasha bana diya ki kisi ka ghar bulldozer se tod denge (so bulldozer is being run here too… this has been turned into a spectacle that you will demolish anyone’s house with a bulldozer).”

He also accused the Agamkuan police station for being associated with land mafias to carry out these demolitions without following “due process of law.”

The SP, East, Circle Officer and the station in-charge have to present themselves at the Patna High Court on December 8.

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Justice Kumar dictated the order on November 24 where he was heard saying, “Aisa kaun powerful aadmi hai jo bulldozer lekar tod diye uska (Who are these powerful people for whom you demolished someone’s house using a bulldozer?). Whom do you represent? The state or private persons? Tamasha bana diya ki kisi ka ghar bulldozer se tod denge.” (you (administration) have made a spectacle by trying to demolish someone’s house).”

The furious judge slammed the police officers for taking matters in their own hands. “Bhoomi vivadon ko chinhit kar, thana ko hi power de diya hai execution karna ka? Aapka samasya hai to thana jaiye, paisa dijiye aur ghar tudva dijiye kisi ka...civil court ko band kar dijiye (Has the police station also been given power to sort out matters of land dispute? If someone has an issue, they can just go to the police station, pay a bribe and get someone’s house demolished. Why don’t you close the civil court?)”

Accusing the police officers of accepting bribes to carry out such demolitions, Justice Kumar assured that he was here to “protect” not ‘trouble” the petitioner, adding that compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the “pockets of each” officer involved will be handed to the petitioner.