Batla House residents are living in fear of bulldozers, according to neighbours on Monday. They said in meanwhile amid the intense stress, one resident suffered a fatal heart attack as Batla House demolition deadline nears, according to neighbours.
Social activist Md Tahir told the OT that as the July 11 deadline approaches, residents are in shock. He said amid the tense atmosphere, a 55-year-old neighbour died of a heart attack yesterday. According to him, the deceased had been under intense stress ever since the eviction notice was issued for Muradi Road in the Batla House demolition drive.
“He was under intense shock after eviction notices were posted on several buildings in Khasra 279 in Batla House, urging residents to vacate their homes before July 11. This followed a civic agency’s claim that the land was encroached. We believe, that this might have led to a heart attack,” said Tahir, who is helping residents with their paperwork in Batla House demolition.
Deceased Md Anwar’s 29-year-old son Shakib told the OT that his father died of heart attack a day ago.
When asked whether he had any heart ailment history, Shakib said: “He was a healthy man. Everybody in Batla House is panicked since the eviction notices were pasted. After the notice he was very tense. He suffered heart attack at 5 pm and we rushed him to a hospital but he succumbed. He was laid to rest at 11 am today.”
Shakib said his father, a mechanic with a firm, bought the house in 1989 and provided them with quality education. He has left behind two daughters, all married and a son who works outside India.
A resident said the death could be a coincidence and is likely unrelated to the developments in Batla House. However, he added that residents are under stress and mentally exhausted from worrying about their future.
Another resident Sarfraz Ahmed, bought his flat in 2012, told the OT that everybody is tensed as the demolition deadline is nearing. He said the residents of this particular area in Khasra 279 were given 15 days notice following the Supreme Court order.
“Buying a flat was incredibly difficult. I worked hard for 12 years, saving every penny to secure a home and a better future for my family and children. I used to walk up to 15 kilometres to and from work every day just to save money. Eventually, my dream came true — I finally had enough to buy this flat. But now, everything is uncertain. The eviction notice has shattered that dream,” said Sarfraz, a resident of Bihar. He said many residents are under stress but they have full faith in the judiciary.
Tahir said the positive development in Batla House case is that some residents whose houses were outside the marked Khasra have got relief. “Some four residents got relief today and one had got a few days ago,” he said.
Nooruddin told the OT that our buildings were marked mistakenly and we approached the court and thankfully we got relief for a month. Though the relief has been welcomed by many residents, those living in Khasra 279 continue to live in fear of the bulldozer, as they have not yet received any relief from the court.
Tahir said they are hopeful that something positive might happen tomorrow in Batla House demolition case.
Batla House demolition: May 26 notice on Khasra 279
The May 26 notice was put in both English and Hindi and said: “Whereas, the land of Khasra number 279 village Okhla is acquired DDA/Government land…and a part of the subject land has unauthorised encroachment.
“And whereas, the Supreme Court…has directed the Delhi Development Authority and Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi to take action of demolition of illegal/unauthorised structures in said Khasra number 279 village Okhla in relation to the area lying outside PM-UDAY colony boundary. And whereas the SC has directed that such action shall be taken after giving 15 days notice to the occupants of such illegal/unauthorised structures.
“And whereas, this building/structure has been found to be an illegal/unauthorised structure falling in khasra number 279 village Okhla outside PMA-UDAY colony boundary. Now therefore in pursuance with the directions of the SC to take action of demolition in accordance with law in respect of illegal/unauthorised structures and in order to recover precious DDA/Government land, the occupants of this building/structure are hereby directed to vacate the premise within 15 days of issuance of this notice. The demolition programmer shall be carried out from 11-06-2025 without any further notice. The occupants of this building/structure have been duly warned.”
Colony was formed in 1978: Tahir
Tahir explained that the panic wasn’t just about one date — it was about the possibility of losing a home that took a lifetime to build. “You know how hard it is to build a house today. You save every rupee. It’s not easy,” he said with heavy emotion. “People thought: What if the home I built for my children gets taken away?”
He said the land demarcation in Batla House demolition was flawed — there were departmental mistakes. He said the colony was formed in 1978, and since then, residents have been paying for electricity, water, and house tax. “This is not illegal encroachment. This is a protected colony under the 2014 Act,” he said. “They don’t have solid proof this is DDA land. We trust the court. Justice will prevail in Batla House demolition.”
I haven’t slept. People are shattered: Sarfaraz
Sarfaraz said: “I received a notice too — on May 26. Since then, I haven’t slept. People are mentally shattered. Sarfaraz’s story is that of thousands of migrants chasing stability in life. “I was born in Bihar, graduated in 2000, and moved to Delhi. I started out as a delivery boy at a courier agency. Later, I worked at an ad agency. I used to walk to work to save penny for going to office. ”
He recalled how he calculated everything carefully before buying a house. “I didn’t choose a house near the main Muradi Road to avoid future road widening or demolition. I selected a safe location after rejecting three options.”
He said he has documents from 1984 and even had tax receipts from 1988 and water bills from 2000. “After careful analysis, I bought the house in 2012. The building was constructed in 2010. If it really was DDA land, why wasn’t it stopped during construction? How can it suddenly become illegal now?”
Talking about his building, Sarfaraz said: “Ground plus four floors, 6 flats per floor — 30 flats in total. Some residents drove rickshaws during the day and worked other jobs at night to afford these homes. It’s heartbreaking.”
“Supreme Court is symbol of justice”
“If I bought a home after all this, I deserve to be heard. The Supreme Court is the symbol of justice. I believe it will stand with the truth.”
“A man builds a home for his children, and now he’s terrified it will be taken away. This is not just concrete — it’s our life’s work,” he said. Most of the affected residents by Batla House demolition are shattered and hoping for positive development so that their houses can be saved, said a journalist.
On May 7, the Supreme Court passed an order directing demolition of alleged illegal construction.
