Thursday marks a crucial day for the residents of Batla House as the Delhi High Court is to hear their plea against eviction. Majority of the families, who had earlier secured interim relief after the DDA pasted eviction notices on their properties on May 26 giving them just 15 days to vacate now anxiously await the court’s decision on July 10.
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The upcoming hearing will determine whether the interim protection granted to them earlier will continue or if they face the grim prospect of losing their homes. For these residents, today could well decide the future of their roofs over their heads.
Social activist Tahir Ali, who has been leading the paperwork efforts, told the OT that the much-awaited hearing is scheduled for today. “The fate of around 37 people will be decided. We are hopeful of a positive outcome,” he said.
Residents, who had breathed a sigh of relief weeks ago after securing interim protection from the court, are once again pinning their hopes on justice. In a related case, 11 other affected residents who had earlier got relief from the Saket Court attended their hearing on July 2, which was adjourned to July 26 for the next round.
All of them are among those who had already received interim relief in the ongoing Batla House demolition case.
A resident familiar with the developments shared that in an earlier hearing the court had asked the DDA’s lawyer to submit the necessary documents. “From what I’ve heard from people who went to court with the lawyer, they’ve sought more time to present their case,” he said.
It was on June 23, when the court granted interim relief to all residents that a semblance of peace returned to the area. Since then, many have begun to focus again on their families and their children’s education, trying to regain a sense of normalcy. Yet everyone is keenly awaiting the Delhi High Court’s decision on July 10.
One resident observed that most families have slipped back into their routines, as they had before the eviction notices were first pasted on May 26. But a few remain vigilant, working tirelessly to gather documents and prepare for the next hearings.
“It’s been a very hard time,” said another resident, a father of school-going children. “We are worried about our kids’ education. Schools will reopen after the summer break and exams are coming up. If we don’t get permanent relief from the court, our minds will stay caught up in the case and in saving our homes. That will definitely affect our children’s studies,” he said.
Life in Batla House and Okhla have, on the surface, returned to its usual rhythm. Shopkeepers, once paralysed by fear of eviction, are back to running their businesses. The markets are bustling again, with residents shopping, chatting, and soaking in the lively atmosphere. But beneath this revived vibrancy, an undercurrent of quiet anxiety lingers, a subtle shadow over the neighbourhood. Many admit they don’t know how long this fragile calm will last.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) issued eviction notices on around 52 properties, including houses and shops, following a Supreme Court order. The DDA claims ownership of the land, while residents dispute this, arguing that their decades-long residence on the land undermines the authority’s claim.
