Registered 535 cases for damage to public, private properties during anti-CAA protests: Delhi Police to HC

New Delhi [India], September 21 : The Delhi Police on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that it had registered 535 cases and initiated legal action against the people involved in causing damage to public and private properties during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Delhi Police also mentioned that the chief justice of the Delhi High Court has appointed Justice (retired) Sunil Gaur as the "Claim Commissioner" to investigate the damages and to award Compensation relating to the riots that took place during the protests. The police said it is ready to abide by any direction which may be passed by the court.
The Delhi Police has filed a fresh affidavit in response to a petition seeking court direction that the police identify the persons who caused damage to public properties during the protest and recover the damages from them.
The bench of the Delhi High Court had earlier sought the response of the Union of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Government of NCT Delhi and the Delhi Police.
It is also stated that during the entire period of protest against CAA/NRC and blockades of roads by the protestors, Delhi Police remained vigilant and cautious and took all necessary measures to ensure that the protest may not escalate and the protestors may not breach the law and order situation in the area under the grab of exercising the constitutional rights available with them, police said in the affidavit.
As and when the protestors tried to infringe the law and failed to obey the lawful directions of the enforcement agencies, appropriate legal action was taken against the rioters/miscreants, stated the affidavit.
The present petition was filed by advocate Hindu Mahajan and a law student named Amandeep Singh Gehlot through Advocate Yudhvir Singh Chauhan also sought directions to respondents for setting up independent machinery to investigate the damage caused and to award compensation related thereto.
Plea alleges that the related Supreme Court ruling is ignored by the respondents which caused a huge loss to the Government Exchequer and incurred the cost of the actions by the authorities and police to take preventive and other actions.
The petitioners themselves visited various places in Delhi and were shocked and saddened to see the damages caused to public properties during the riots in favour or against the Citizen Ship Amendment Act, said the plea.
More than 750 cases were registered over the northeast Delhi violence, in which at least 53 people were killed and several others were injured. Out of 750 cases, 535 cases have been registered against the damage caused to public and private properties during the protests. So far, over 250 charge sheets have been filed in the riots-related cases in which 1,153 accused have been charge-sheeted.