The Supreme Court has rejected the petitions on the alleged rights violations in Bhatta Parsaul agitation, directing the petitioners to approach the Allahabad High Court.
Petitioners sought directions to the Uttar Pradesh government to restore the acquired land or provide more compensation, claiming that the land acquired in the name of building an express-way is being diverted to private builders. They also requested a CBI probe into the whole matter.
It is alleged that the UP police committed human rights violations, including rape and mass murder, of villagers while putting down an armed protest demanding more money for forcibly acquired land in the Delhi suburb of NOIDA in UP.
The call for a proper investigation into the episode — which lasted a week — is being spear-headed by the Congress Party, which sees it as a suitable campaign to be involved in, before next year’s elections to the state assembly. The Congress is trying to revive is decrepit party structure in the Hindi heartland state, India’s biggest by population.
The Supreme Court, however noted that there are already such cases in the Allahabad High Court and it would not be proper for a parallel hearing by the superior court on the same case.
The SC also pointed out that several Central institutions, such as the National Commission for Women and the National Human Rights Commission, have already prepared or are preparing reports on what happened. It pointed out that if violations are discovered by these commissions, they would approach the Supreme Court on their own.
The agitators oppose the Mayawati Government’s move to allot part of the acquired land, adjacent to the planned express-way, to private builders for making Malls and shopping complexes. They point out that private builders are buying or leasing these plots from the government for 5-8 times what the government paid to the villagers.
