The Rajasthan High Court halted an anti-encroachment operation in a Jalore district village following a petition where land deeds were presented. This decision overturned the court's earlier directive from May 7, which had ordered the removal of structures from 35-acre pasture land in the area.

On Thursday, residents of Odwada displayed resistance as officials from the district administration and police arrived in the village to clear what they termed as "encroachments." The opposition party Congress in the state criticized this action.

Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur issued the stay order subsequent to the petitioners presenting their land deeds (pattas) in court.

"Despite there being the requisite documents issued by the competent authorities of the state government for holding the possession of the land, the petitioners are being dispossessed without taking appropriate steps following the law", the petitioner's counsel Shyam Sunder Paliwal said.

Notably, in compliance with the court's previous order, the Ahore administration conducted an anti-encroachment drive on the 35 acres of pasture land of the Odwada village on Thursday with heavy police force. As per the high court's order, a total of 342 residential areas were classified as encroachments.

On Thursday, the removal of fences and boundary walls took place on the Oran land, excluding any residential structures. However, approximately 198 encroachments were slated for removal on Friday.

In issuing the notices, the court directed the Additional Advocate General (AAG) Rajesh Panwar to ensure that the petitioners are not deprived of the ownership rights granted to them through the land deeds (pattas or sanad) concerning the land in question.

The operation faced criticism from opposition leaders, including former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who questioned the rationale behind removing people who had been residing there for generations and possessed valid documents to support their claim.

Local MLA Chhagan Singh Rajpurohit held discussions with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday regarding the ongoing issue. Subsequently, he issued an order to suspend the anti-encroachment drive until Saturday.

Addressing the media, Jalore District Magistrate Pooja Parth stated that the operation had been conducted in accordance with the court's instructions. She clarified that the action was taken against individuals who had erected boundary walls on land parcels, rather than targeting residential units.

She emphasized that the legal procedure was followed prior to the operation, and all encroachers were duly served notices in advance, notifying them about the impending exercise.