SC refused to interfere with eviction of the slum dwellers

The Supreme Court has abstained itself from interfering with eviction of slum dwellers for widening of a road in Mumbai. The slum dweller had approached the apex court after their challenge was turned down by the Bombay High Court against the action of the Municipal Corporation.

The vacation bench comprising of Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Ajay Rastogi observed that the Court could not interfere with the project of public important involving widening of a road in a highly congested city of Mumbai. The court further observed that there could be no equality to wrong when the project of such public importance was in question and therefore, could not be stalled. The Court also stated that the slum dwellers were neither the owners of the land on which their shops and residences were located nor hold the same under any tenancy or lease.

The Court, in Ramesh G. Karani v. Slum Rehabilitation Authority, held that project of public importance should not be stalled.