India's top court has said that authorities cannot demolish homes merely because a person has been accused of a crime and has laid down strict guidelines for any such action. The ruling comes in response to a bunch of pleas seeking action against authorities using demolition as a punitive measure against those accused or convicted of crimes.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday laid down pan-India guidelines to prevent arbitrary demolitions of properties in the country. and stated that it is not a happy sight to see women, children and ailing persons dragged to the streets overnight.

The Supreme Court will decide on the issue of framing a pan-India guidelines to regulate “bulldozer” action by authorities.

The Supreme Court will announce guidelines for a national property demolition drive, known as 'bulldozer justice', on Wednesday. The bench has reserved the order after hearings on October 1