Kohima: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) committee, in coordination with the district administrations and police of Chümoukedima and Dimapur, along with local authorities, carried out a major eviction drive on Friday at Dimapur Airport to remove unauthorised occupants from government-acquired land.
The action was undertaken following a prolonged legal process involving multiple court interventions and concluded with the demolition of 24 structures illegally occupying the land.
According to the deputy commissioner of Chumoukedima, the exercise pertains to the eviction of 22 individuals who were in illegal occupation of Dimapur Airport land. He informed that their land documents were of EkraniPatar village whereas they were actually occupying land at dag number 38 and 40 of Diphupar village.
DC Dimapur had earlier issued a notice on December 5, 2019, under Section 5(1) of the Nagaland Eviction of Persons in authorised, unauthorised occupation of public land, 1971, calling upon the 22 individuals, encroachers, to show cause within 15 days as to why an eviction order under Section 6(1) of the Act should be, should not be passed against them.
On expiry of the 15-day notice period, an eviction order under section 6(1) of the Act was issued by DC Dimapur whereby the 22 individuals were directed to vacate and deliver possession of the public land covered by dag number 38 and 40 at Diphupar after removing all buildings, structures thereon.
However, prior to the execution of the eviction order, the Guwahati High Court by an interim order, ordered for status quo. The state government then applied for modification, alteration of the interim order, which was vacated by the High Court vide judgment dated 8/1/2020.
On vacating the status quo order, the DC Office Dimapur gave an extension of five days, vide order dated December 11, 2020. Before eviction could be carried out, the court of the Civil Judge, Dimapur passed a temporary injunction which was affirmed, upheld by the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Dimapur.
Later, the Guwahati High Court, Principal Bench in CRP number 104/2024, vide order dated May 27, 2025, quashed and set aside the temporary injunction granted to the encroachers by the subordinate courts, which has enabled the district administration to execute the eviction orders dated December 21, 2019, and December 11, 2020.
It was informed that the encroachers totaled to 22 but 24 structures were demolished which included four RCC buildings, three semi pucca buildings, 17 thatch houses.
The exercise was carried out in the presence of independent observers, who were tribal bodies, CSOs of both Dimapur and Chümoukedima, and independent witnesses, who were the village councils of neighboring areas.
DC, Dimapur, Tinojonghshi, also informed that earlier the land was under dag no 79 under EkraniPatar, but now their occupation is dag 30 & 40, which is under Diphuphar. He informed that the land was purchased by the Government and handed over to the Airport Authority.
He acknowledged civil societies from Dimapur, Chumoukedima, the Village councils from nearby areas, the administration and the police from Dimapur & Chumoukedima for their cooperation to witness the eviction process, which ended in progress.
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