The Supreme Court granted interim relief to a parish under the Church of South India in Tamil Nadu, staying the municipal demolition of its newly erected church spire. The judicial stay was granted during a special hearing on a special leave petition challenging a high court directive that had sanctioned structural demolition on grounds of alleged building bye-law non-compliance.
Counsel appearing on behalf of the church management submitted that municipal sanction applications had been duly tendered years prior, arguing that the spire posed no structural threat to neighboring habitations or public transit thoroughfares. The petitioner claimed that local administrative authorities acted precipitously without granting the religious body an adequate administrative hearing or reasonable rectification timeframe.
Issuing formal notice to the state municipal administration and the original complainant, the apex court ordered all parties to maintain status quo on the ground until further judicial orders. Legal commentators noted that the court’s intervention underscores the necessity of adhering to procedural due process and natural justice before civic authorities execute irreversible demolition actions against places of worship.
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Sources:
https://www.ucanews.com/amp/indias-top-court-stays-demolition-of-church-spire-in-tamil-nadu/115831