The Nagpur Municipal Corporation demolished the residence of Nagpur riot accused Minority Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Khan who is currently in police custody following his arrest, along with 100 individuals, for the March 17 violence in Nagpur. He has been booked for sedition.

After bulldozing the house of the mastermind, Fahim Khan, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) anti-encroachment squad demolished an illegal construction owned by Yusuf Sheikh, another accused in the riots.

Advertisement

The move came days after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told media persons that bulldozers would be used to demolish the properties of rioters wherever required. “Whatever damage has happened will be recovered from the rioters. If they do not pay the money, their property will be sold for the recovery. Bulldozers will also be used wherever required,” he had told media persons when asked if his government would adopt Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s approach to law enforcement.

“Bulldozer should be run over him, and not his house if anyone does such kind of violence,” Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena had said earlier.

At around 10.30 am on Monday (March 24), three JCB machines of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) began demolishing Khan’s residence, located at Sanjay Bagh Colony in the Yashodhara Nagar area, amidst heavy security including drone surveillance in the entire area. The area where the demolition work was carried out, was also completely barricaded.

Fahim Khan, the Nagpur city president of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP), had reportedly constructed an illegal structure on Plot Number 61/A in Sanjay Bagh Colony, Yashodhara Nagar. Earlier, the NMC had issued a notice in the name of Mahirunissa Shamim Khan, with a copy delivered to Fahim Khan’s residence.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation notice had instructed Fahim Khan and his family to demolish the illegal construction within a week, warning that failure to comply would lead to action by the Municipal Corporation’s bulldozer squad.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation stated that it had issued a notice to Khan with a 24-hours deadline, citing various violations, including the lack of building plan approval for his house, before carrying out the demolition. Civic authorities stated that the demolition was carried out after Khan, who is in police custody, failed to remove the unauthorised structure.

In this connection, it may be recalled that in November 2024, the Supreme Court held, as illegal, the practice of demolishing properties of those accused of crimes, as a punitive measure. The Supreme Court had stated that processes must be followed before removing allegedly illegal encroachments.

According to Nagpur Municipal Corporation Officials, they had inspected Khan’s residence on March 20 and determined that it violated the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act, 1966 (MRTP Act) and hence decided to go ahead with the demolition.

“We had the order to investigate a complaint. We did a proper investigation. As per Section 53(1) of the MRTP Act, a notice was issued for 24 hours. As soon as the deadline was over, action was taken,” Nagpur Municipal Corporation Deputy Engineer Sunil Gajbhiye said.

Incidentally, Fahim Khan’s property, located in Sanjay Bagh Colony in the Yashodhara Nagar area of Nagpur, is said to be the first property to be demolished by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

Khan’s double-storied residence was located on a plot of Nagpur Improvement Trust (Lease) whose lease ended in 2020. Allegedly, there was no sanction plan for the building and the entire construction was unauthorised, according to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.