The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to refund crores of rupees recovered from anti-CAA protestors in view of proceedings initiated in 2019. The Yogi Adityanath-led government had told the Apex Court that on February 13 and 14, it withdrew 274 recovery notices issued against anti-CAA protestors for destruction of properties.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant said the state government will refund the entire amount worth crores of rupees, recovered from the alleged protestors due to the proceedings initiated in 2019.
It granted liberty to the UP government to proceed against alleged anti-CAA protestors under the new law -- Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act notified on August 31, 2020. The bench refused to accept the submission of Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad that the protestors and the state government be allowed to move the claim tribunal instead of directing refunds.
The apex court was hearing a plea filed by one Parwaiz Arif Titu seeking quashing of notices sent to alleged protestors by the district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) agitations in UP and asked the state to respond to it. The plea has alleged that such notices have been sent in an "arbitrary manner" against a person who had died six years ago at the age of 94 and also to several others including two people who are aged above 90.
(With PTI inputs)
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