Punitive demolitions transform executive discretion into punishment without due process. In 2024, the Supreme Court intervened to delineate the boundaries of lawful action, issuing explicit directions against punitive demolitions. Municipal powers cannot be transformed into parallel instruments of punishment; permitting such use would undermine both the presumption of innocence and the integrity of the justice system. What mechanisms ensure accountability exists when municipal powers are misapplied? Punitive demolitions, however labelled, are legally unsustainable.

Source: The Hindu February 26, 2026 17:09 UTC