23 DU students issued show cause notice for defacing public property

The students, including four office-bearers of the DU student union, have been asked to respond before February 15 “why punitive action (should) not be initiated against them for the acts of defacement of public property.”

Delhi University has issued a show cause notice to 23 students, whose names had appeared on posters and on graffiti tags during the student union elections last year, for defacement of public property.

Delhi University has issued a show cause notice to 23 students, whose names had appeared on posters and on graffiti tags during the student union elections last year, for defacement of public property.

The students, including four office-bearers of the DU student union, have been asked to respond before February 15 “why punitive action (should) not be initiated against them for the acts of defacement of public property.”

The notice as issued by the office of the Dean of Students Welfare on Friday and is in compliance with a Delhi High Court order on a petition alleging that candidates had defaced public property by plastering posters and spray painting the candidates’ names in the university, on the roads and even metro pillars.

Though the notice names 23 students and their details, information on four students— Shakti Singh, Sumit Dhankad, Vishwa Badola, and Vineet Choudhary—is said to be unavailable.

Rajesh Tandon, the dean of students welfare, said the list was as per the one submitted by the petitioners in court, and they would contact individual colleges to see if principals can identify these students.

Mahamedha Nagar, the current secretary of DUSU and an ABVP cadre, said she was not in campus and had not received any notice. The other ABVP member of the students’ body, joint secretary Uma Shankar, said he was consulting with lawyers on how Nagar and he should proceed.

Rocky Tuseed, the president of the union and an NSUI member, said he had already submitted proof in court on his efforts to clean up any defaced property.

“I have done it as a citizen, even though I have not put up any posters in my name or painted any walls. I have submitted a CD in court, with before and after pictures, as evidence of how I have helped clean up any defaced property,” Tuseed said.

The university, on the court’s orders, had arranged meetings between the petitioners and the respondents to discuss the cleaning up of public property defaced during the polls and how to curb the practice in the future.

“We have prepared a draft guideline after consultation with all the stakeholders, including the DMRC, MCDs, students, the university, and the police, and all the suggestions given by students are included in it. It will need to be formalised, and will have to ensure that it does not contradict any Lyngdoh Committee guidelines,” he said.