The Delhi High Court on Tuesday orally directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) that it should not take any coercive action by demolishing residences of the accused in the Uttam Nagar murder case or those in the vicinity until the next hearing on Wednesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Tarun Kumar was beaten to death last week amid a brawl on the day of Holi with neighbours in West Delhi’s Uttam Nagar. On Sunday, civic authorities demolished parts of a house belonging to the main accused, Umardeen (49), and his son Muzaffar (25).
The court’s remarks on Tuesday came as two petitions — expressing apprehension of further demolition — were heard. The petitions came up before the court around 4:10 pm on Tuesday after the petitioners requested Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya for urgent listing of the matters earlier in the day.
While MCD, through its counsels Siddhant Nath and Amaan Khan, submitted that there is no urgency in the matter, given that the demolition took place on March 8 and the petitioners have only moved court on March 10, Justice Amit Bansal, addressing the MCD’s counsels, orally said, “…Nothing should happen between 4 pm today and when it’s taken up tomorrow.” The court has, however, not passed any order to this effect in writing. Two petitions have been filed, through advocate DIvyesh Pratap Singh, apprehending the demolition of their residences in the A-block of the JJ Colony in Uttam Nagar. One of them has been filed by Jarina, the mother of a co-accused in the case, who has alleged that her house, where her family has been residing for over 40 years, was broken into. The other petition has been filed by Shahnaz, whose residence is situated in the “immediate vicinity of the demolished house”.
“The demolition carried out by the municipal authorities has created an atmosphere of terror and insecurity in the locality, giving rise to a genuine apprehension that the house of the Petitioner may also be demolished without following due process of law,” the petitioners submitted, while adding that “… certain religious groups and anti-social elements have been extending threats” to the petitioners, warning them “of serious consequences.”
A total of 16 persons have been apprehended in the murder case so far, including two minors.
The MCD had told The Indian Express on March 8 that the demolition was carried out as the structure was an encroachment on a drain and its removal was necessary for desilting of the drain ahead of monsoon.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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