India's Supreme Court suspends 'bulldozer justice' and orders no demolition work without its approval

India's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to stop destroying private property as a punitive measure against people accused of criminal activities, condemning what it called “bulldozer justice.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist government frequently uses bulldozers and earthmoving machines to raze the accused's properties, saying it targets illegal construction and is a decisive response to criminal activities.

The Supreme Court, which is currently hearing a number of petitions against the campaign, asked the government to stay the campaign until the next hearing on October 1.

In a hearing last week, the court said the move amounted to “running over the laws of the land with a bulldozer.”

“Alleged involvement in a crime is not a reason for demolishing a property,” the judges added.

Human rights groups condemn this tactic as an unlawful collective punishment, often directed against India's Muslim minority.

“It cannot be demolished even if he is a convict… demolition can be done (only) as per the procedure prescribed by law,” said Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, one of the trio of judges hearing the case.

The election campaign began in 2017 in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is ruled by Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu monk who is seen as a potential successor to Modi and a key figure in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Since then, the movement has spread to several other BJP-controlled states.

According to officials, the demolition work is legal because it only applies to buildings that were constructed without legal permission.

However, victims of the campaign deny that their dwellings are illegal and say they are not given the necessary notice to appeal against demolition orders.

Amnesty International said the demolitions were part of a selective and “brutal” crackdown on Indian Muslims who raised their voices.

France-Presse