New Delhi: The Centre has recently placed in the Supreme Court its new guidelines to recover penalties from rioters and arsonists indulging in wanton destruction of public property during agitations.
Solicitor General Rohington Nariman told a bench of justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhya that besides empowering district magistrates to recover penalties from the offenders they would be empowered to seek prosecution of such persons before the court concerned.
The apex court, while taking on record the Centre’s note containing the guidelines, issued notices to the Centre for its reply on a PIL filed by former UP Director General of Police Prakash Singh seeking recovery of penalties from protesters who recently enforced over a 100-day blockade of Manipur.
In the two-page note submitted to the court through Counsel Tarun Sharma, it was stated that the Centre would coordinate with the respective state Home Secretaries to remove blockades and tackle the menace of destruction of public properties like railways, airways and highways.
However, if the state fails to remove the blockade within 12 hours, the state Home Secretary shall immediately request the Union Home Secretary to direct the Central Forces or any other Para-military force available at the command of the Centre to initiate the desired preventive steps immediately to maintain or restore public order within 24 hours, the note said.
The Centre’s guidelines came in the backdrop of the bench’s direction to Nariman to assist the court as amicus curiae (adviser to the court) to tackle the problem arising out of destruction of public properties by rioters. (PTI)