Rule of Law or Rule of Muscle? High Court Slams Inaction on Illegal Constructions

The Bombay High Court has seriously doubted if the state is governed by the rule of law or "muscle power" following ongoing inaction against illegal construction. Judges warned that unfettered breaches and lenient enforcement will lead to "anarchy," rendering planned urban development a chimera. The...

The Bombay High Court has seriously doubted if the state is governed by the rule of law or "muscle power" following ongoing inaction against illegal construction. Judges warned that unfettered breaches and lenient enforcement will lead to "anarchy," rendering planned urban development a chimera. The court rejected the "build first, regularise later" method, emphasizing that no political might, illiteracy, or duration can legitimate illegal constructions. Orders were issued to officials to act at once—bulldozing illegal structures and bringing all culpable parties, including officials, to book. The court summoned stricter legislation and stern deterrents to check lawless violations and issued a definitive message: the law must have primacy over vested interests if there is to be orderly, lawful development. Source: Deccan Herald, Hindustan Times, India Today