A senior RMC official said that they usually ask for police protection five days before the planned demolition to the police department. But often the police refuse to provide protection on that day only forcing them to wind up the whole operation.

Encroachments on government and RMC lands are very common here. It was found out during an operation carried out earlier, that plots belonging to the RMC were sold to people on fake stamp papers. Arrangements are also made for payment of tax under self evaluation scheme. Water connections are also taken on the basis of tax paid bill.

RMC sources said that on a recent checking, around 60 illegal houses were found on plot survey number 134. Illegal encroachments are also there on plot survey number 163. Plots reserved for creating gardens or for commercial purposes are regularly encroached upon.

Police protection at the time of demolition is necessary as possibility of local people turning violent cannot be ruled out. Estate officer Jayendra Mehta said that it was almost impossible for the squad to carry out demolition without police protection.

Mehta feels that illegal constructions should be demolished before they are occupied as once they are occupied, politicians make it very difficult to demolish those.

Deputy commissioner Pankaj Rawal says that police are not able to provide protection as they have other priorities also.

Police commissioner Sudhir Sinha, however, completely denied this charge. He said that police are always providing protection to the squad. No official complaints have been made by the RMC so far on this issue, he added.