In Brief
This case concerns the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in Delhi whose shelters were demolished by the Public Works Department. The High Court had ordered relocation and alternative accommodation, but later restricted benefits only to formal writ petitioners. The Supreme Court held that in public interest litigation, benefits must extend to all identified affected persons listed as annexures, not merely formal petitioners. The Court clarified that class litigation does not require every affected person to file separately, and the judgment's scope must be understood from its complete text, not isolated operative portions. The appeals were allowed and respondents directed to implement the relief within three months, subject to eligibility verification under the relocation policy.
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