The Supreme Court delivered a scathing rebuke to the Uttar Pradesh government and Prayagraj Development Authority on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, branding their demolition of homes in Prayagraj as “inhuman and illegal.”

Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan condemned the “high-handed” action, asserting that it flouted the rule of law and violated citizens’ right to shelter. “This shocks our conscience,” the bench declared, emphasizing the need for due process.

The court ordered the authority to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to each affected homeowner within six weeks, signaling zero tolerance for such overreach.

The case stems from a plea by advocate Zulfiqar Haider, professor Ali Ahmed, and others whose residences in Lukerganj, Prayagraj, were razed. Petitioners argued the state erroneously targeted their properties, mistaking them for land linked to slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, killed in a 2023 police encounter. Notices were served on March 6, 2021, but the demolition proceeded without legal adherence, they claimed.

This isn’t the first time the apex court has criticized UP’s demolition spree—earlier rulings flagged similar actions as sending a “shocking and wrong signal.” The Allahabad High Court had dismissed the petitioners’ challenge, prompting their Supreme Court appeal. Legal analysts hailed the verdict as a win for constitutional rights, while others criticized UP’s “bulldozer justice.” The ruling underscores a growing judicial pushback against arbitrary state actions, spotlighting Prayagraj’s fraught land disputes.