The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has condemned the eviction and demolition of legally allotted shops for construction of a super-speciality hospital in Ayodhya, while seeking a reply from the UP Medical and Health Department.

A division bench of Justices Shekhar B Saraf and Amitabh Kumar Rai, in its order dated October 12, stated, “It is surprising that despite the petitioners having been allotted the shops and having acquired the status of lessees in accordance with the rules governing such allotments, they have been asked to vacate the premises without determination of their leases or any proposal to rehabilitate or compensate them for their eviction from the premises.”

It added, “Such conduct on the part of the respondents (the health department and Ayodhya DM among others) is highly condemnable and cannot be appreciated as the action of the respondents adversely affects the right of the petitioners towards their livelihood and is violative of Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of…