RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, June 7: The widow of late IPS J.D.H.Guria, Vineeta Guria, has knocked the door of the Jharkhand High Court demanding a stay on the process started to demolish her house along with several others for the expansion of the Birsa Munda Airport.
The development took place after the Guria observed that the Namkum Circle Officer without considering the direction of the Jharkhand High Court started the demolition process saying that the place where the lady and similar others are staying was acquired in 2008 for Birsa Munda Airport expansion and they do not have any claim on their land.
Guria observed that though Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary directed the Namkum CO on April 24 to conclude the proceedings he had initiated after the issuance of an encroachment notice on December 7 last year after hearing the points of villagers, the latter did not follow the same. She observed that the CO passed an order without talking to the villagers who had knocked the door of the Jharkhand High Court challenging the encroachment notice.
The CO, Guria and other co-petitioners observed that the deputed police force equipped with an earthmover on June 1 threatened villagers and started demolition without making arrangements for their rehabilitation and compensation. She and other co-petitioners claimed that they are not encroachers and have valid documents for the land on which they are staying for many years.
Guria’s advocate, S.G. Raman, confirmed the development saying the matter was heard today in the court of Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, which directed the government to file a reply within two weeks in the matter.
“With this development, the administration will not be able to start demolition work for at least two weeks,” Raman said.
Contacted government counsel Ashutosh Anand who appeared in the matter before the court echoed the same. “The petitioner had prayed for a stay but the court did not give any stay order. The court has asked the state to file a counter affidavit,” he said.
