You can’t be inhumane: HC raps KMC over eviction notice
Times of India | 15 July 2026
Kolkata: “You cannot be inhumane,” the Calcutta High Court told KMC on the public notice, not undersigned by any official, issued for eviction of dwellers under the Hastings flyover and extended the interim protection till July 28.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee was hearing a PIL, which challenged the removal of urban dwellers below flyovers without any rehabilitation plan.
KMC submitted a report, saying they would be able to provide alternative shelters to dwellers. “The corporation is operating 12 shelter homes that can accommodate 1,035 people. At present, there are 285 vacancies for the urban homeless. This eviction is not on our own motion,” the KMC counsel submitted in reply to the HC directions, seeking rehabilitation details.
But the ACJ flagged the language used in it. “But for this do you issue a public notice? We do not know which person issued this order. This is a valid ground for quashing the order itself. In the process you will suffer. Educate your officers, is this the manner in which public notices are issued? My dwelling house is being taken away on the basis of this sort of notice. You cannot be inhumane. Show me the social part of it. How people living below the poverty line, having no shelter are constrained to approach the HC. This officer should be taken to task,” the ACJ said.
The additional advocate general (AAG), Bilwadal Bhattacharya, said the eviction was being conducted on the Army’s request. The ACJ told Bhattacharya: “We understand. A request was made, there is public interest involved. We are not throwing you away, keep you in rehabilitation. Please go and occupy there. Your noble intentions are that. But what sort of an officer has issued this… Do your work in a sensible manner.”