Bombay HC Permits WR To Continue Eviction Drives In Bandra East Slums Near Railway Station

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has permitted the Western Railway to continue its eviction drive against illegal constructions in the Garibnagar slum cluster located outside Bandra East railway station, while simultaneously directing authorities to safeguard the rights of eligible slum dwellers identified in an earlier survey.

According to a report by Loksatta, a division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata, while hearing a petition filed by the Garibnagar Residents Welfare Society, clarified that the ongoing demolition action against unauthorised structures can proceed. However, the court emphasised that occupants who were found eligible during the surveys conducted on August 10 and 11, 2021, must be protected in accordance with existing legal provisions.

The petitioners informed the court that despite earlier protection granted to eligible hutment dwellers until they are provided alternative accommodation, the railway administration had allegedly taken action against them during the eviction drive, reported Loksatta. It was further argued that such action was carried out without prior notice, even in cases where residents had documentary proof of their eligibility under the 2021 survey.

According to the petition, the demolition exercise was being undertaken in collaboration with other authorities, and in the process, structures belonging to eligible residents were also being targeted. The residents’ body contended that this amounted to an arbitrary action and a violation of the court’s earlier directions.

Taking note of these submissions, the bench stated that while the Railways are within their rights to remove illegal encroachments, the interests of those deemed eligible in the survey must not be compromised. The court reiterated that the protection granted earlier to such residents remains in force until suitable alternative accommodation is provided.

The High Court briefly heard both sides before issuing its observations, balancing the need for removal of unauthorised constructions with the obligation to uphold the rights of recognised slum dwellers. The matter highlights the ongoing tension between infrastructure authorities seeking to clear encroachments and residents asserting their rehabilitation rights under established surveys.

Further proceedings in the case are expected to monitor compliance with these directions.

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Published on: Tuesday, May 05, 2026, 03:10 PM IST