New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today declined to stay the demolition in Gurugram while allowing an urgent mention before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the same matter. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi told the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu to take up the matter today.
It was mentioned orally by senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who flagged concerns over the demolition drive targeting “stilt-plus-four” buildings in the city.
“Demolitions are set to start in Gurugram now. The high court had ruled that the old policy should be adhered to regarding stilt-plus-four buildings. But now authorities have directed officials to go street by street and demolish structures. Trees are being cut, compound walls are being brought down. The high court never ordered demolition,” he said.
He said while the high court only directed adherence to existing policy norms, the authorities had begun large-scale demolition activity across several areas. On April 2, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in an interim order stayed the operation of the Haryana government’s ‘stilt-plus-four floors’ building policy, which allows the construction of four residential floors above stilt parking.
Flagging serious concerns, the high court observed that the state appears to have put public safety at risk merely to earn more revenue. The interim order came on a petition challenging a July 2024 order issued by the additional chief secretary of the town and country planning department. The order had allowed construction of ‘stilt-plus-four floors’ on residential plots, raising the earlier cap of ‘stilt-plus-three floors’.
It had introduced a composition mechanism even in cases where building plans had not been approved. Following the high court’s stay, Haryana officials launched an anti-encroachment campaign against unauthorised constructions and encroachments across urban areas, beginning with Gurugram.
Today, seeking interim relief, Sankaranarayanan said, “Please grant a status quo for three days. We will approach the high court. Children are out in the open during demolitions. No notice has been given. These are all legal constructions.”
Responding to the submissions, the Chief Justice of India observed that the structures in question were unauthorised and that the high court was competent to examine the issue.
“These are unauthorised structures. The high court has the power to look into this, Chief Justice Kant said.
The demolition drive is part of an anti-encroachment exercise planned by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), which is set to cover 44 sectors of Gurugram starting today.
Earlier, the Department of Town and Country Planning had conducted a five-day demolition drive in the city.
In April 2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the operation of the policy while hearing a batch of PILs challenging it. The court had raised concerns over inadequate civic infrastructure, noting that additional floors could put pressure on roads, sewage and drainage systems.
Following the stay, the Haryana government began a crackdown on unauthorised constructions and encroachments, including misuse of stilt areas and extensions beyond approved plans. The exercise was designed as a time-bound enforcement drive, beginning with localities such as DLF Phase 1.
Earlier this month, authorities demolished encroachments including boundary walls, ramps and kiosks in licensed colonies, citing compliance with the high court’s interim order.
However, residents and petitioners have argued that the high court had only stayed the policy and directed adherence to existing norms, and had not ordered large-scale demolitions.