No law to back UP on posters: SC

Court refers matter to 3-judge bench No stay on HC order

New Delhi, March 12: There is no law to back the Uttar Pradesh government’s action of putting up hoardings naming those accused of violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Supreme Court told the state government on Thursday, and referred the matter to a threejudge bench.

A vacation bench of the top court, which was

hearing a petition by the Yogi Adityanath government, challenging an order earlier this week by the Allahabad high court asking the government to remove the “name and shame” posters and hoardings put up across Lucknow, did not put a stay on the high court’s order.

On Monday, the Allahabad high court, citing the right to privacy as a fundamental human right recognised by the UN as well as the Supreme Court, said the government’s move to display photographs and ■

■ Continued from Page 1 personal details of the accused on roadside hoardings was “an unwarranted interference in privacy”. It asked the Lucknow administration to remove all the hoardings by March 16.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court told the Uttar Pradesh government that as of now there is no law to back their action of putting up posters of those accused of vandalism and described the plea as a matter that needed “further elaboration and consideration”.

A vacation bench justices U.U. Lalit and Aniruddha Bose said a “bench of sufficient strength” would consider of next week the UP government’s appeal against the Allahabad high court order directing the state administration to remove the posters of those accused of vandalism during anti-CAA protests.

It directed the apex court registry to put up the case file before Chief Justice of India (CJI) S.A. Bobde so that a “bench of sufficient strength can be constituted at the earliest to hear and consider” the case next week.

During the hearing, the bench told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, that it was a matter of “great importance”.

The top court said that there was no doubt that action should be taken against rioters and they should be punished, but asked Mr Mehta whether the state government had the power to put up such posters. Mr Mehta told the court that the posters were put up as a “deterrent” and the hoardings only said that these persons were liable to pay for their alleged acts during the violence.

Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for former IPS officer S.R. Darapuri whose poster has also been affixed in Lucknow, told the bench that the state was dutybound to show the authority of law backing its action.