The apex court stays the bulldozer action on Sarfaraz Wali’s wedding hall ‘Aiwan Farhat’, giving him one week to present his case in the Allahabad High Court
BAREILLY – The Supreme Court has granted relief to Samajwadi Party leader Sarfaraz Wali, halting the ongoing bulldozer operation on his wedding hall ‘Aiwan Farhat’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly. The order came on Thursday after the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) had already begun partial demolition of the property.
Advocate Vaibhav Mathur, representing Sarfaraz Wali, said, “The Supreme Court has stayed the demolition of Sarfaraz Wali’s wedding hall and has given him one week to present his case before the Allahabad High Court. Until then, no further demolition can take place.”
‘Aiwan Farhat’, built at a cost of approximately Rs 10 crore and covering about 1,000 square yards (9,000 square feet), had already seen around 40 per cent of its boundary and front portion demolished over the last three days as part of an operation targeting illegal constructions.
A heavy contingent of police and BDA officials had been deployed to carry out the demolition. However, following the Supreme Court’s stay order, the BDA team returned, halting the operation.
Sarfaraz Wali, known to be close to former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, is alleged to have incited people during recent Bareilly violence. His son, however, clarified, “My father was only associated with Azam Khan as a member of the Haj Committee and had no role in inciting any protests.”
Prior to this, another SP leader, Muhammad Rashid, saw his wedding hall, valued at Rs 8 crore, completely demolished after a two-day operation. During that demolition, about 50 people from six families residing on the upper floors were forced onto the streets. “Women were seen crying and pleading with the administration not to evict them,” reported local residents.
The Supreme Court order provides Sarfaraz Wali an opportunity to present his legal arguments and prevent further demolition of his property while the case is examined by the high court. The situation has drawn significant attention, with observers noting the political undertones in the actions against prominent SP leaders.
Sarfaraz Wali will now prepare his legal battle in the Allahabad High Court while the BDA awaits further instructions from judicial authorities before resuming any demolition activities.
