Chhattisgarh High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance Of Blocking Of Bridge Pathway, Says Encroachers' Posing Direct Challenge To State

The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken suo-motu cognisance of a news item published in a Hindi daily which reported that the Dayalband Bridge— under which 15 families were living for 40 years, along with a demarcated footpath, was blocked by few people, who, having failed to initially purchase the land, erected an iron gate and boundary wall with a threatening note stating that those passing through that path will be given proper treatment.The report further highlighted that the blocking of the Bridge had caused significant inconvenience to the affected families, with the situation being so dire that children had to be carried on shoulders to school while crossing the river beneath the bridge and the bikes and other vehicles had to be parked on the main road or shops because the river made it difficult to drive. The detriment alleviates in cases of illness or emergency.Voicing strong disapproval against the “arm-twisting method” of the individuals, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru observed,“The message written on the wall is virtually a direct challenge to the authority of the State as no person is allowed to take law into their own hands.”The report also revealed that following a complaint from the affected residents, the Revenue Department conducted an inspection and prepared a panchnama, wherein it was found that the affected residents had been commuting through the said footpath, which exits upto the Dayalband road, for years. The Court also referred to three photographs published in the report in which the first photograph showed that parents of small children were constrained to carry their wards on their shoulders through an improper road full of shrubs to take them to school. The second photograph showed that the women were forced to walk through the river along with their childre, and the third photograph showed that a woman was climbing on the said locked gate on which the threatening message was pasted, to go through the said way.Consequently, the Court directed the District Magistrate, Bilaspur, to file a personal affidavit reflecting the steps which had been taken by the District Administration against the person who had raised the wall and blocked the footpath.The matter is now listed on 28.10.2025 for further hearing.Case Details:Case Number: WPPIL No. 92 of 2025Case Title: In the matter of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation based on News item published in Bilaspur Haribhoomi, dated 16th October, 2025 namely “40 Sal Purane Raste Ko Band Kar Likh Diya Gujarane Walon Ki Khoob Khatirdari Ki Jayegi” v. State of ChhattisgarhClick Here To Read/Download Order

Chhattisgarh High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance Of Blocking Of Bridge Pathway, Says Encroachers' Posing Direct Challenge To State

Saahas Arora