Independent human rights experts have issued a stark warning, calling on India to immediately put an end to its practice of arbitrary and punitive demolitions that disproportionately affect low-income households, minorities, and migrants. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, India is leading the charge in illegal home demolitions. These actions are denounced as an “aggravated form of human rights violation, and are especially egregious when they target or discriminate against minorities or marginalized communities.”

Since 2020, the demolitions have been utilized by state authorities as a form of collective and arbitrary punishment following communal violence and protests. Between 2020 and 2022, over 2,840 properties, predominantly belonging to Muslims, were destroyed across various Indian states. Human Rights Watch noted in October 2022 that Indian authorities are increasingly employing summary and abusive punishments against Muslims, often “blatantly disregarding the rule of law” and sending a message of discrimination and attack.

Reports indicate that public authorities and politicians have at times incited communal violence against religious minorities, with state actors allegedly supporting, participating in, or failing to investigate violence by Hindu nationalist vigilante groups due to their links to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Attacks on mosques have also been reported, with some allegedly bulldozed for being “illegal structures.” Moreover, historically disadvantaged and marginalized communities such as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) face rampant caste-based discrimination, with employers sometimes restricting their access to basic facilities and places of worship.

India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), recognized for its full compliance with UN-mandated Paris Principles and accredited with an ‘A’ status by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, actively pursues a “human rights-centered approach.” It takes suo motu cognizance of serious matters, including police high-handedness and custodial deaths, which are also areas of its focus. However, reports also indicate issues with police effectiveness, including inadequate training, limited resources, corruption, and bias, particularly affecting underprivileged groups like SCs and STs. Authorities have also imposed temporary internet blackouts, ostensibly to maintain law and order, but which have in practice been used to suppress dissent.

Judicial bodies have condemned these demolition practices. The Supreme Court’s Division Bench in April 2025 deemed the demolition of six homes in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, “illegal,” “high-handed,” and “inhuman,” ordering significant compensation. The court criticized the practice of providing “less than 24 hours” notice, often merely “affixed” to homes, rather than ensuring personal service, which led to people losing their houses. This landmark order facilitates viewing punitive demolitions not only as violations of the right to shelter but also through the lens of cruelty and torture.