N-E Delhi riots: Former HC judge to look into public property damage, recovery

Retired Delhi High Court judge Sunil Gaur was onWednesday appointed as the claims commissioner to evaluate damage to public property during the north-east Delhi riots and the recovery process.

The high court appointed Gaur after the city government wrote the court registrar general seeking the appointment of a claims commissioner.

In a communication, Delhi High Court Registrar Manoj Jain said, “…..the Chief Justice pleased to appoint Justice Sunil Gaur (rtd) as claims commissioner in terms of the law laid down by the Supreme Court in the cases of Destruction of Public and Private Properties versus State of Andhra Pradesh and others…. The duration of the commission shall, initially, be for a period of six months, subject to further extension, if found necessary”.

On March 9, the Delhi government had written to the high court to appoint the claims commissioner after the Delhi Police had decided to recover the cost of damages to public and private property during the riots in north-east Delhi from people identified by the police as “rioters”, HT reported on February 29.

The initiative is similar to one in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where, in December 2019, the state government had sent notices to at least 400 people identified as “rioters” to recover damages to properties during anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the state. Last week, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly introduced a new law through an ordinance to back the action.