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Trouble ahead for those defacing public property

Staff Reporter

Action against people sticking posters, bills and writing slogans on them

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Delhi police to take action against people and organisations that deface public property by sticking posters, bills and writing slogans on them.

A Division Bench of the court comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kailash Gambhir directed the police to prosecute those who indulge in defacement of public property under Section 425 (mischief) and 434 (mischief by destroying or moving) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Bench also directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to prepare a blueprint to tackle the problem on a permanent basis.

The Station House Officers (SHOs) of Panchkuian Road, Najafgarh, Rohini, Malviya Nagar, Vikaspuri, Rohini, Dhaula Kuan, Naraina, Sarvapriya Vihar, Maurice Nagar and Begumpur were present in person in the courtroom at the time of hearing on a direction by the court.

The directions came on a public interest litigation by lawyer Monica Arora. She had earlier showed some photographs of public property, including the Delhi Metro stations, whose walls had been plastered with posters and bills.

The High Court had in 2004 passed orders saying that defacement of public property was a cognizable offence and the police should register cases and take action on their own if they found violation of the law that protected public property from defacement.

The Bench had further directed that the Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and SHOs would be held liable for violation of the law.

The Bench had also directed the city police to pass a circular to this effect. Following the court directions, the city police had issued a circular asking all SHOs to take action against persons and organisations that indulged in the defacement of public property.

However, Ms. Arora alleged that the people were defying the orders with brazen impunity and the police were not taking action against them.

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