The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea seeking to stop the demolition of a Pakistani-Hindu refugee settlement at Majnu Ka Tila, stating that the residents have no legal right to occupy the land. Justice Dharmesh Sharma, who presided over the case, lifted a previous interim relief granted in March 2023 and ruled that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) could proceed with its plans, though without coercive action against the petitioner, Ravi Ranjan Singh.
Singh, a camp resident, had petitioned the court to prevent displacement until alternative land was provided. He also urged the DDA to build protective embankments along the Yamuna River for informal settlements and religious structures, as has been done near the Akshardham Temple and the Commonwealth Games Village.
The Court, however, found no merit in the plea, noting that Pakistani refugees cannot be rehabilitated under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) policy as they are not Indian citizens. Justice Sharma advised the petitioner and similarly situated refugees to seek Indian citizenship under Section 10A of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019—a process available online and described as straightforward.
Once granted, such citizenship would entitle refugees to the same rights as any Indian national, including access to resettlement schemes. Until then, the court emphasized, they have no enforceable claim to government land.
The judgment also pointed out that the refugee camp is located within Zone ‘O’—an environmentally sensitive area along the Yamuna floodplain. The court referred to strict National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines mandating that such land be reclaimed from unauthorized encroachers to facilitate ecological restoration efforts.
Citing the deteriorating state of the Yamuna, the court made it clear that humanitarian appeals could not override the urgent need to protect the river. “No interference can be allowed that may delay or obstruct restoration projects,” the court observed.
While acknowledging bureaucratic delays and a lack of coordinated efforts between government agencies, the court maintained that it was not within its jurisdiction to devise policy for refugee rehabilitation. Instead, it urged affected individuals to pursue legal pathways to citizenship and seek assistance from the Delhi State Legal Services Authority to navigate the process.
