The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said that all interim orders passed by all courts in Maharashtra and Goa would continue till October 31 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A four-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta, Justices A.A. Sayed, S.S. Shinde, and K.K. Tated said, “The situation in Maharashtra, because of the pandemic, continues to be grim. Normal functioning of the courts is yet to be restored. In view of which, we consider it just and appropriate to extend all interim orders till October 31.”
This implies that all orders for eviction, dispossession and demolition already passed by the courts will remain in abeyance until October 31, in same terms as directed earlier.
After six months, on Wednesday, a Bench headed by the Chief Justice heard a matter physically on removal of encroachments along riverbeds in areas that come under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
The corporation sought permission to comply with the order of the National Green Tribunal on clearing encroachments.
The court said, “Removing the encroachments would render some people homeless; the court cannot allow the same during the pandemic.”
The Bench also said, “You tell the tribunal that a larger Bench has passed such an order. In fact, all High Courts across the country have passed similar orders against eviction, demolition, dispossession etc. in view of the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, the Principal Bench at Bombay will commence physical hearings from October 1 to October 30. On October 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 and 29, a Division Bench of Justices P.B. Varale and V.G. Bisht and Justices S.S. Jadhav and N.J. Jamadar will preside.
On October 7, 9, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23 and 28, a single judge Bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and P.D. Naik will take up matters.
Published - October 01, 2020 01:57 am IST
