Senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioner, said the state has filed a response to the petition and he wanted to file the rejoinder. “Their defense is that [the structure demolished] was near the Arabian Sea. What prevented them from seeking permission from your lordships,” Hegde said. On October 4, SC cautioned the authorities, saying it will ask them to restore the structures if it finds that they acted in contempt of its recent order against such action.The bench, however, refused to pass an order of status quo on the demolition near the Somnath temple. On September 28, authorities in Gujarat carried out a demolition drive to clear encroachments on government land near the temple in Gir Somnath district. “If we find contempt, we will order them to rebuild the structures,” the court had clarified in the order.
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