'Stop it or we will': Supreme Court asks Yogi Adityanth govt to stop fining anti-CAA protesters
New DelhiIBNS: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to stop recovering money for property damage caused during the 2019 anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests from those identified as protesters.
The apex court said it is giving one final opportunity to the state government to withdraw the proceedings against them or it will quash the same for being in violation of the law.
"You have to follow the due process under the law. Please examine this, we are giving one opportunity till February 18," the court said.
A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant said the Uttar Pradesh government has acted like a "complainant, adjudicator and prosecutor" in conducting the proceedings to attach the properties of the accused.
"Withdraw the proceedings or we will quash it for being in violation of the law laid down by this court," the bench said.
The apex court made the comments while hearing a plea filed by Parwaiz Arif Titu seeking quashing of notices sent to alleged protesters by the district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during the anti-CAA agitations in Uttar Pradesh.
The plea said the notices have been sent in an "arbitrary manner" and cited instances where a notice has been sent to a man who had died six years ago.
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