After several hours of drama in Grand Omaxe Housing Society in Sector 93-B, the Noida authority on Friday demolished 48 encroachments into the common spaces by residents of the society.
This is the same housing society where a spat between Shrikant Tyagi and a woman resident triggered a major row last month, leading to Tyagi’s arrest and a massive protest by his supporters.
The razing of encroachments, mostly temporary constructions outside ground-floor apartments, came after a 48-hour notice by the authority to residents of Grand Omaxe Society. The demolition was carried out amid heavy police presence amid protests by residents who said they were not aware of the demolition notices sent by the authority.
The officials reached Grande Omaxe with excavators and trucks around 10.30 pm but were met with resistance by a section of residents sitting at the front gate of the society. While some residents carried posters and pleaded with the officials not to proceed with the demolition, others questioned the legality of the action.
Even as the residents pleaded with the officials, bulldozers razed down more than two dozen illegal structures on the ground floor.
They also uprooted 11 of the 15 palm trees which were transplanted outside Tyagi’s apartment.
The residents of the society alleged that the bulldozers arrived on a complaint from Tyagi’s wife Anu, however, officials of the Noida authority denied the charge.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Tyagi family was informed by a team of Noida Authority officials to get the trees removed in two days or the officials would have to “remove the encroachment” themselves. The officers had arrived at the scene the same day.
However, on Friday a high voltage drama prevailed as Anu Tyagi, wife of Tyagi, and her relatives opposed the demolition team as they stood between the palm trees and the JCB. However, the authorities uprooted the illegally planted palm trees.
Anu had questioned why only parts of her house were demolished when several others also had illegal construction.
“Initially also we said neither we are wrong nor others, but earlier I was alone so no one listened to us. I am sad that today parts of several people’s houses are being demolished. I only said that the same norms should be applied to all. Do with us what is done with others and vice versa,” she said.
“After the initial resistance there was no law and order situation in the process. Adequate security personnel have been deployed,” ACP (Central Noida 1) Abdul Qadir said.
The fresh demolition comes more than a month after illegal construction outside the apartment of Tyagi, who is said to be close to the BJP, was razed.