The Orissa High Court has issued a stern rebuke to the Odisha administration over the illegal demolition of a decades-old community centre in Balasore, terming the incident a “disturbing case of bulldozer justice.”
In its judgment delivered on June 20, the court ordered the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation, of which Rs 2 lakh is to be deducted from the salary of the Tehsildar responsible for overseeing the demolition.
Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi also directed disciplinary action against the Tehsildar and called on the Chief Secretary to issue new guidelines to prevent similar violations of Supreme Court demolition protocols in the future.
The demolished structure, a goshtigruha built in 1985 and renovated between 2016–2018 with public funds, served as a key community space. Despite a court order on November 29, 2024, restraining coercive action, the Sub-Collector issued an eviction order on December 13, and the demolition occurred the next morning without due process. The court found that multiple judicial directives were ignored, and added Rs 70 lakh in compensation against the Revenue Department for unnecessary litigation delays, bringing the total penalty to Rs 82 lakh. The case has triggered renewed calls for transparency and accountability in land-related enforcement actions.
