Yogi government took back the compensation notice against the CAA protesters, SC said – also return the crores of rupees collected

The Supreme Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to return crores of rupees recovered from anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters. In fact, the Yogi government told the SC on Friday that it has withdrawn action and 274 recovery notices initiated against anti-CAA protesters in 2019 for damage to public and private property. In response, a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant said that the state government will refund the entire amount of crores of rupees, which was recovered from the alleged protesters under this action.

However, the court has given liberty to the Uttar Pradesh government to take action against the alleged anti-CAA protesters under the new law. It is to be known that the UP Government Compensation Act was notified on 31 August 2020 for destruction of public and private property. The bench rejected the argument of Additional Advocate General Garima Prasad that instead of directing funds to the protesters and the state government, they should approach the Claims Tribunal.

The Supreme Court had reprimanded the UP government
The Uttar Pradesh government had acted on the compensation notices issued to the alleged anti-CAA protesters in December 2019, for which the Supreme Court had reprimanded the government on February 11. Along with this, the court had given the last opportunity to the government to withdraw the action and warned that its action was against the law, so the court would set it aside.

The court said – this action is against the law
The court had said that the action initiated in December 2019 is against the law which has been interpreted by the Supreme Court. The court was hearing a petition filed by Parvez Arif Titu. The petition had requested that the notices sent to the alleged protesters be quashed.