Anti-CAA Protests: UP Govt Withdraws Recovery Notices And Proceedings Initiated Against Protestors

The apex court 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, PTI reported.

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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court on Friday that it has withdrawn 274 recovery notices and proceedings initiated against anti-CAA protestors in 2019 for damages caused to public and private properties.

The apex court 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, PTI reported.

An apex court bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant granted liberty to the Uttar Pradesh 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 apex court bench refused to accept Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad’s submission that the protestors and the state government be allowed to move the claim tribunal instead of directing refunds.

Earlier on February 11, the apex court had pulled up the state government for acting on the recovery notices issued to the alleged anti-CAA protestors in December 2019.

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The #SupremeCourt directed that properties of anti-#CAA protesters, which were attached by #UttarPradesh government should be restored to them, and also if they had paid money to the authorities concerned for the alleged damages should be also refunded.

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- IANS (@IANS) 18 Feb 2022

The apex court gave one final opportunity to the Uttar Pradesh government to withdraw the proceedings and warned that it will quash the proceedings for being in violation of the law.

The Supreme Court had said that the proceedings initiated in December 2019 were contrary to the law laid down by it and cannot be sustained.

The apex court’s observation came on a plea filed by one Parwaiz Arif Titu seeking quashing of notices sent to the alleged protestors by the district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) agitations in Uttar Pradesh and asked the state government to respond to it.

(With PTI Inputs)