Allahabad High Court Judge Atul Sreedharan gave a 51-page judgment regarding the bulldozer action in UP. During this, he also made very harsh remarks regarding law, bulldozer justice and corruption. Justice Sreedharan said that the government should consider amending the Anti-Corruption Act-1988 to give death penalty to its culprits. Let us know the 3 important issues raised by Justice Sridharan. Let us understand what he commented, what the statistics say about it and what are the legal provisions regarding it.
1. On theft case in Ram temple
Justice Sreedharan said that the recent theft of offerings in Ram temple is the lowest level of Indian honesty. Those who are not at all disturbed by this incident cannot be embarrassed by anything. Systematic corruption is crippling Indian institutions. The common Indian has accepted corruption as so normal that he does not consider it wrong until it is caught. Corruption has taken such deep roots in the society that now the dam of patience has broken. To teach the corrupt a lesson, the government should bring the rule of death penalty.
what do the statistics say
India ranks 91st among 182 countries in Transparency International’s ‘Corruption Perception Index 2025’ (CPI). That means India’s global ranking has declined. India’s score is only 39 out of 100. In the last 10 years, India’s score has remained stuck between 38 to 41 (in 2014 it was 38). That means, even though the economy may have increased, the graph of honesty has not increased. India’s score (39) is lower than China (42), while Sri Lanka is almost at par with India. There are only 5 countries in the world whose score is above 80.
What does the law say
If found guilty of simple theft for the first time, there is a provision of imprisonment up to 3 years, fine or both. If caught repeatedly stealing, it is mandatory to jail for 1 to 5 years. Under the existing ‘Prevention of Corruption Act-1988’, there is no provision for death penalty for taking bribe or misuse of position. There is a maximum imprisonment of 3 to 7 (or 10) years. Legal experts believe that the provision of death penalty in corruption cases would be very difficult in practice, because death penalty is allowed only in the rarest of violent crimes.
2. Culture of illegal construction and bulldozer justice
Justice Sreedharan said that demolishing a house immediately after a crime is mainly to satiate the bloodthirst of a society which has become accustomed to ‘bulldozer justice’. No illegal house is built overnight. Dishonest officials turn a blind eye with political and bureaucratic support and allow builders to carry out construction by taking bribes. During this, Justice Sreedharan also read a couplet by the famous Urdu poet Bashir Badr: People would break down to build a house, but you don’t feel pity in burning settlements.
what do the statistics say
According to a 2024 report by The Hindu, 48 major demolition drives were carried out in 16 states and union territories, in which 7,407 houses were demolished. Due to these bulldozer actions, approximately 41,085 people became homeless overnight. 30% of the total cases occurred in Uttar Pradesh alone (14 cases). About 1,800 families were displaced for the Kukrail Riverfront Project in Lucknow. Assam and Delhi are also at the top of this list.
What does the law say
On 13 November 2024, Justice B.R. Gavai’s bench ruled that demolishing the house of an accused without legal process is completely unconstitutional. The court made it clear that giving collective punishment is a violation of the innocent family members’ right to shelter (Article 21). This order of the Supreme Court prohibits punitive actions, but is silent on non-punitive matters like removal of encroachments, of which the authorities are still taking advantage.
3. Impact of corruption on the economy
Justice Sreedharan said that corruption is no longer just a moral turpitude, but it is stopping the development and economic wheels of the country. The complexities of the system itself allow officials to exploit the general public and businessmen. Unless institutional and legal processes are made transparent, justice and development cannot be achieved just by running bulldozers.
what do the statistics say
Due to global corruption, the world loses 5% of its GDP (approximately $2.6 trillion) every year. India has to sacrifice 1% to 1.5% of its GDP annually to corruption. ‘Direct Benefit Transfer’ (DBT) has been introduced to stop corruption. The ‘Digital Payments Index’ (RBI-DPI) has increased to 516.76 in September 2025, thereby eliminating the work of middlemen.
There are 26,134 provisions in India’s business regulations in which there is a threat of punishment (jail). For example, starting a single pharma startup requires following 998 rules, 49% of which can result in a criminal case (jail). Such fear gives rise to bribery. Efforts are being made by the government to reduce the burden of compliance and eliminate criminalization for small mistakes. The government is working towards reducing compliance and making services faceless, so that the scope for bribery reduces.
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