Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has stayed the demolition notices to over 100 tenements around the famous Vishalgad Fort in Kolhapur till March 10. The court has asked if there is a policy to deal with old settlements within a protected monument.
A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale was hearing a petition filed by a few residents who have claimed that they were earlier regularised. With the government counsel seeking time to file a reply, the court has kept the matter for hearing on March 10.
300-acre precinct for over 30 years
The petitioners claimed that they’ve been in possession of their tenements on the 300-acre precinct for over 30 years. One of them was allotted land in 1983 and some regularisation applications are pending, the court was told.
However, on Dec 13, 2022, the Department of Archaeology abruptly issued notices under section 21 (2) of the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains Act, 1960, asking them to demolish their structures within 30 days, failing which the drive would be undertaken.
The petitioners claimed that several fundamentalist organisations and religious groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, are behind the proposed demolition as they had recently raised the issue of alleged encroachments by Muslims on the fort site.
The petitioners have also contended that the fort was declared a protected monument only in 1999, while petitioners have been residing there since decades. At a meeting held before the notices were issued, they said they were assured of rehabilitation, without which they would be rendered homeless.
