Delhi HC paves way for eviction of 700-odd families from slum near PM residence, appoints monitoring panel

3 min learnNew DelhiUp to date: Aug 25, 2026 10:02 PM IST

The Delhi Excessive Courtroom on Tuesday granted the residents of the slum close to the Prime Minister’s Race Course Street residence six weeks’ time to vacate their camps and transfer to Savda Ghevra the place they’re being rehabilitated.

The courtroom’s path adopted appeals by the slum dwellers. Unfold throughout three camps, the slum is dwelling to 700-odd households.

The division bench of Chief Justice D Ok Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, whereas issuing the path Tuesday, additionally constituted a committee headed by former Delhi district decide Man Mohan Sharma to observe the rehabilitation. The seven-member committee, comprising high-ranking officers from varied authorities authorities, shall “constantly monitor and supervise rehabilitation of the dwellers” be certain that the facilities, as promised to the slum dwellers by the federal government, with the time period of the monitoring committee fastened for a interval of six months. Delhi HC has additionally empowered the Committee Monitoring to concern instructions to all of the companies involved, “which can be required and deemed match for the needs of rehabilitating the dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri bastis in a significant method…”

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The courtroom additionally directed the Delhi City Shelter Enchancment Board to “facilitate transportation of family articles/belongings” of the slum dwellers to Savda Ghevra.

Elevating their voices towards the rehabilitation in Savda Ghevra, which is round 45 kilometres away from the slum, residents had mentioned that the identical will deprive them of their livelihoods, with most of them at present engaged in blue-collar jobs within the neighborhood of the camps close to the PM’s residence. The dwellers had additionally alleged a scarcity of fundamental facilities, together with colleges, in Savda Ghevra.

It was the federal government’s case that the eviction is important as “the situation of the current camps is adjoining army installations”. The federal government additionally highlighted a have to strengthen the defence infrastructure. It had mentioned, “Within the present international safety state of affairs, which includes elevated threats and the chance of battle or war-like circumstances, the presence of unauthorised buildings on this delicate space creates severe dangers to nationwide safety, public security, and the safety of important installations.” The federal government had initiated the method for his or her eviction in October final yr.

The federal government, represented by ASG Chetan Sharma and the Centre’s standing counsel Ashish Dixit has assured the slum’s residents one free Metro card for a yr, extendable as much as three years, and free bus journey for one member per household for a yr.

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The Prime Minister’s residence — 7, Lok Kalyan Marg — is positioned a couple of kilometres from the slum. As per the rehabilitation coverage of the Delhi City Shelter Enchancment Board (DUSIB), a joint survey was carried out by the Land and Improvement Workplace (L&DO) below the Union Ministry of Housing and City Affairs (MoHUA) and the Delhi Improvement Authority in January 2024 to evaluate if the residents have been eligible for alternate housing. It was subsequently determined that the slum dwellers could be rehabilitated on the DUSIB Colony in Savda Ghevra.

A discover was issued to the residents on October 29 final yr that was then challenged within the Excessive Courtroom a month later.

In March this yr, the Centre had conceded to an exception, saying that in a one-off occasion, it might take into account all residents of the slum as eligible for rehabilitation.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Categorical. Beforehand primarily based in Ahmedabad masking Gujarat, she not too long ago moved to the New Delhi bureau, the place she primarily covers authorized developments on the Delhi Excessive Courtroom

Skilled Profile

Background: An alumna of the Asian Faculty of Journalism (ACJ), she beforehand labored with ET NOW earlier than becoming a member of The Indian Categorical.

Core Beats: Her reporting is at present centered on the Delhi Excessive Courtroom, with a concentrate on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over mental property, prison and civil instances, problems with human rights and regulatory regulation (particularly within the areas of expertise and healthcare).

Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was recognized for her rigorous protection within the beats of crime, regulation and coverage, and social justice points, together with the 2002 riot instances, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, amongst others.
She has extensively lined well being within the state, together with being a part of the group that exposed the segregation of wards on the state’s largest authorities hospital on traces of religion in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage metropolis, she has extensively lined city growth and heritage points, together with the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram

Current Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her current reporting from the Delhi Excessive Courtroom covers main political, constitutional, company, and public-interest authorized battles:

Excessive-Profile Case Protection

She has extensively lined the assorted authorized battles – together with for compensation below the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Fee – pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, in addition to 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has additionally led protection on the intersection of expertise and governance, and its impression on the citizenry, from, and past courtrooms — equivalent to the federal government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake coverage.

Signature Type

Sohini is acknowledged for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and past. She specialises in breaking down dense authorized arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her develop her protection on regulatory, company and mental property regulation, whereas sustaining a robust dedication to human rights and lacuna within the prison justice system.

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