DU Property Defacement: Delhi High Court Summons DUSU Election Candidates
The Delhi High Court has taken serious action against students involved in defacing public property during the 2024 DUSU elections. The court has summoned several student candidates to appear on October 28. These candidates are accused of putting up posters, hoardings, and graffiti. This has caused damage to public walls and spaces during their campaigns.
DU Property Defacement: Key Points
- Candidates Called to Court
The court, led by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, has asked the student candidates to explain their actions. They must justify why they should not be held responsible for the damage caused during their campaigns.
- Defacement of Public Property
The DUSU election campaigns ended in September 2024. During that time, posters and graffiti were placed on public walls and spaces around DU. This led to complaints from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which had to clean up the mess.
- Lack of Action from Authorities
The court expressed disappointment. Neither Delhi University nor the Delhi Police took proper action to stop this defacement. The court also noted the use of luxury cars without registration numbers by student candidates during the campaigns. This added to the chaos.
- Vote Counting Halted
The court stopped the vote-counting process for the DUSU elections, which was scheduled for September 28. The counting will remain paused until all the defacement is cleaned and public property is restored.
DU Property Defacement: Courtās Concerns
- Universityās Responsibility
The court criticized Delhi University for failing to manage the elections properly. The court said that the university had the power to stop students from defacing property but did not take enough steps to prevent the damage.
- Comparison with Other Elections
The court noted that such behavior is rarely seen in other elections, such as municipal or national elections. It questioned why student elections at Delhi University were allowed to go out of control.
- Hooliganism on the Roads
The court was also concerned about the behavior of students during the campaigns. Convoys of luxury cars, many without registration plates, were seen campaigning, creating a sense of fear among people in the area. The court ordered the Delhi Police to take action to prevent such hooliganism in the future.
DU Property Defacement: Petitioner’s Allegations
The case was brought to the court by advocate Prashant Manchanda. He filed a petition asking for action against the candidates responsible for defacement. He highlighted the widespread damage to public walls and the sense of fear among residents, especially women. This was all caused due to large convoys of campaign vehicles.
Two student candidates, however, argued that they had cleaned some of the defaced areas and encouraged others to do the same. They asked the court to allow the vote counting to proceed, as the student unionās term is only one year, and eight months are already lost.
DU Property Defacement: DUās Cleanup Efforts
- Status Report from DU
Delhi University submitted a report claiming that 90% of the defacement had been cleaned. They stated that colleges and departments had made efforts to restore their areas. However, the petitioner and representatives from MCD and DMRC disputed this, providing videos and photos showing that some areas were still defaced.
- Compensation for Defacement
DU suggested setting up a panel to calculate the cost of the damage caused by the defacement. They planned to work with MCD and DMRC to figure out how much compensation should be paid. Letters were sent to MCD and DMRC asking for details of the costs they incurred in cleaning up.
- MCDās Demand
The MCD demanded that Delhi University pay ā¹1 crore as compensation for the expenses it incurred in cleaning up the defaced public property.
DU Property Defacement: Next Steps
The Delhi High Court has asked Delhi University, Delhi Police, MCD, and DMRC to submit updated reports on the defacement and the cleanup process. The next hearing is scheduled for October 28, and the student candidates must appear in court.
The court has made it clear that vote counting for the DUSU elections will only resume once all defacement has been cleaned and public property fully restored.
DU Property Defacement: Conclusion
The Delhi High Courtās involvement in the DU property defacement case has brought attention to the issue of public property damage during student elections. The court has sent a strong message that such behaviour will not be tolerated. The students must take responsibility for their actions. With the next hearing approaching, it remains to be seen how the cleanup and compensation process will unfold.
This case serves as a warning to future student candidates about the consequences of defacing public property and highlights the need for stricter control during student elections. The issue of DU property defacement is now under strict scrutiny, and the courtās decision will likely set a precedent for future elections.
