The Supreme Court recently reprimanded two senior UP IAS officers for their failure to comply with court orders and their decision to halt the demolition of unauthorized commercial structures in Meerut’s Central Market.
The top court severely criticised IAS officer Rishikesh Yashod (IAS:2006:UP), the then Meerut range commissioner, for halting demolition drives due to political pressure or public outcry rather than adhering to the court’s specific instructions.
Besides, the apex court also pulled up another senior IAS officer P Guruprasad (IAS:1999:UP), the then Chairman of the UP Awas Vikas Parishad (UPAVP), questioning him about the failure to demolish illegal commercial structures after reviewing his status report on the demolition.
While terming the action “absolute defiance” of court orders, the top court questioned why they held meetings with local representatives and considered fees for properties ordered to be demolished, directing them to comply with the law.
The court said that the IAS officer would be held personally liable if any untoward incident occurs in the illegal buildings—that include banks, buildings, and hospitals—until the demolition is complete.
The bench, consisting of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan, described the officers’ actions as “absolute defiance” and “the grossest abuse of juridical office” and condemned officials for ignoring judicial directives, demanding answers for “succumbing to pressure” rather than upholding the rule of law.
The bench pulled up the officer for trying to mislead the court by presenting a “meeting minutes” document as a justification for halting the demolition, asking, “Who authorized you to issue this document?”
The bench ordered the immediate sealing of 44 properties in the Meerut Central Market area and directed the state to manage the relocation of affected students and patients, emphasizing that executive officers cannot act in defiance of judicial orders.
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