Overview
- The Supreme Court disposed of a public interest petition on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, refusing to frame a single nationwide regularisation or demolition policy and giving the petitioner leave to take the matter to the Union, states and union territories.
- A three‑judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant (with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana) heard the Centre for Law and Good Governance’s plea for a court‑appointed committee and a uniform framework to protect families facing demolition.
- The court acknowledged that demolitions can threaten the right to shelter and dignity and referenced prior safeguards such as the Olga Tellis precedent and its 2024 directions that require notice in many demolition cases.
- The bench said policy choices belong to state and local governments because facts differ across regions, but it warned that courts can intervene later if a state policy is arbitrary, unreasonable or fails to provide due process.
- The ruling hands the debate to executives and local councils, so expect states with settlement schemes like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi to shape divergent outcomes and for further litigation over specific demolitions and rehabilitation measures.