Bombay HC continues stay on eviction, demolition or dispossession till August 13

LE Desk

Mumbai, July 5, 2021: A four-judge bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday extended the interim stay on eviction, demolition or dispossession till August 13, as lockdown restrictions have not been fully eased.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justices AA Sayed, SS Shinde and PB Varale passed the order in a suo motu petition on the extension of protection to those who are unable to access justice because of the restricted functioning of the courts affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the administrative committee meeting held on July 1, 2021 was briefed by the Central Task Force, a decision to continue with virtual hearings at the principal bench, and also at the co-ordinate benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Goa was taken, the Hindustan Times reported.

“The lockdown restrictions have not been eased to such an extent that access to justice is freely available. Due to prevailing facts and circumstances, the committee of this court has decided to function in a restricted manner till the next review meeting which will be held at the end of July,” said the bench. 

It further directed that orders for eviction, demolition or dispossession will be kept in abeyance as per the conditions of its previous order of April 16, 2021.

After the second wave of Covid-19, the Maharashtra government issued an order dated April 13 titled ‘Break the Chain’ through which restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were imposed in the state from April 14 to May 1. In view of that the full bench had kept interim orders in abeyance thereafter.

The full bench of the Bombay High Court will sit again on August 9, 2021.