JOIN THE LCW
COMMUNITY

Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, quarterly analytics report, curated expert talks, merchandise and much more. Support our work!

Sign up today

Daman Government Orders Demolition of 90 Houses, Turns Schools into Temporary Jails

Reported by

Varsha Torgalkar

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Maitreya Ghorpade

Published on

January 12, 2020

May 31, 2023

Edited on

May 26, 2023

January 12, 2020

State

Daman and Diu

Sector

Land Use

People Affected by Conflict

432

Households Affected by Conflict

90

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

0

ha

Starting Year

2019

Location of Conflict

Nani Daman

Moti Daman

Daman

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Other Kind of Land Use

Land Conflict Summary

On November 1, 2019, the Daman district administration demolished around 90 houses that it alleged were illegally constructed on a 700-metre stretch of government land between Lighthouse Road and Jampore beach in Daman. According to a news report, most of the occupants are local fisherfolk who have been living on this land for over 10 years.
On November 2, Rakesh Minhas, collector and district magistrate, Daman, announced in a notification that the Government High School of Bhimpore, Nani Daman, and Government High School, Moti Daman, would serve as temporary detention centres till further orders.
When LCW called up Sagar Thakkar, tehsildar of Daman, to find out if there was a link between the two, he said, “We had served the eviction notice to all occupants staying illegally on the land two months in advance.” He, however, did not clarify the reason behind the anti-encroachment drive nor shared details about the two schools being turned into prisons. When LCW called him again to establish if there was a link between the two, he did not respond.
On November 3, some 70 people were arrested while protesting against the government’s decision and eviction. Police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse protesters and imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent large gatherings.
On November 4, while addressing a press conference, Minhas announced that the affected families would be provided houses under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Awas Yojna, adding that the cheapest housing loan would be made available to the beneficiaries. “The houses that have already been built under the scheme should be given on a priority to those whose houses were demolished,” he said.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

Arrest

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Undergoing trial

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

No

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

No

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

They were produced before a magistrate, but there was a delay beyond 24 hours

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 144

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

Neither were they informed, nor did they have access

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Yes

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Water bodies

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Central/State Government Policy, Land Reform Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984
Section 37: [Collector may summarily remove any encroachment made on land vesting in the Union government]; Section 40: [Collector may summarily evict any person occupying government land or occupying land to which he is not entitled, after serving notice to such person]; Section 41: [Property left over after a person has been summarily evicted is forfeited and may be removed]; Section 184(a): [Collector must serve notice to persons in wrongful possession of land before eviction]; Section 184(c): [Collector may issue warrant for imprisonment in civil jail against person resisting or obstructing their eviction from land that they wrongfully possess]
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana 2021-22
A scheme to provide affordable housing to all urban residents by 2022.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Arrest/detention/imprisonment

Lathicharge/teargas/pellets

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Yes

Reported Details of the Violation:

At least 70 people who were protesting against their eviction from a plot of government-owned land were detained by the Union Territory Administration of Daman and Diu. Police resorted to lathicharge and water cannons to disperse the protesters.

Date of Violation

November 2, 2019

Location of Violation

Moti Daman

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

District collector

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

People who were evicted

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

Arrest

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Undergoing trial

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

No

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

They were produced before a magistrate, but there was a delay beyond 24 hours

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 144

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

Neither were they informed, nor did they have access

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Yes

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

On November 1, 2019, the Daman district administration demolished around 90 houses that it alleged were illegally constructed on a 700-metre stretch of government land between Lighthouse Road and Jampore beach in Daman. According to a news report, most of the occupants are local fisherfolk who have been living on this land for over 10 years.
On November 2, Rakesh Minhas, collector and district magistrate, Daman, announced in a notification that the Government High School of Bhimpore, Nani Daman, and Government High School, Moti Daman, would serve as temporary detention centres till further orders.
When LCW called up Sagar Thakkar, tehsildar of Daman, to find out if there was a link between the two, he said, “We had served the eviction notice to all occupants staying illegally on the land two months in advance.” He, however, did not clarify the reason behind the anti-encroachment drive nor shared details about the two schools being turned into prisons. When LCW called him again to establish if there was a link between the two, he did not respond.
On November 3, some 70 people were arrested while protesting against the government’s decision and eviction. Police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse protesters and imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent large gatherings.
On November 4, while addressing a press conference, Minhas announced that the affected families would be provided houses under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Awas Yojna, adding that the cheapest housing loan would be made available to the beneficiaries. “The houses that have already been built under the scheme should be given on a priority to those whose houses were demolished,” he said.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Central/State Government Policy, Land Reform Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984
Section 37: [Collector may summarily remove any encroachment made on land vesting in the Union government]; Section 40: [Collector may summarily evict any person occupying government land or occupying land to which he is not entitled, after serving notice to such person]; Section 41: [Property left over after a person has been summarily evicted is forfeited and may be removed]; Section 184(a): [Collector must serve notice to persons in wrongful possession of land before eviction]; Section 184(c): [Collector may issue warrant for imprisonment in civil jail against person resisting or obstructing their eviction from land that they wrongfully possess]
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana 2021-22
A scheme to provide affordable housing to all urban residents by 2022.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Arrest/detention/imprisonment

Lathicharge/teargas/pellets

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Yes

Reported Details of the Violation:

At least 70 people who were protesting against their eviction from a plot of government-owned land were detained by the Union Territory Administration of Daman and Diu. Police resorted to lathicharge and water cannons to disperse the protesters.

Date of Violation

November 2, 2019

Location of Violation

Moti Daman

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

District collector

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Sagar Thakkar, tehsildar of Daman, told LCW, “We had served the eviction notice to all occupants staying illegally on the land two months in advance.” He, however, did not clarify the reason behind the anti-encroachment drive nor shared details about the two schools being turned into prisons.

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

People who were evicted

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch
cross
Not a member yet?
Sign up now