The Allahabad High Court on Monday directed the Lucknow administration to remove posters of those accused of vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in December.
The bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha also asked the Uttar Pradesh government not to install such posters 'without having the authority of law'.
The court directed the district magistrate and the Lucknow police commissioner to submit a compliance report in this regard on or before March 16.
'In entirety, we are having no doubt that the action of the state which is subject matter of this public interest litigation is nothing but an unwarranted interference in privacy of people,' the high court observed, terming it a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution.
'Accordingly, the district magistrate and the commissioner of police, Lucknow, are directed to remove the banners from the roadside forthwith. The state of Uttar Pradesh is directed not to place such banners on roadside containing personal data of individuals without having authority of law,' the court added.
The bench further said, 'A report of satisfactory compliance is required to be submitted by the district magistrate, Lucknow, to the registrar general of this court on or before 16th March, 2020. On receiving such compliance report, the proceedings of this petition shall stand closed.'
The court, which had on March 7 taken suo motu cognisance of the issue, on Sunday termed the move 'highly unjust' and said it was an 'absolute encroachment on personal liberty of individuals'. The high court then reserved its order, saying that the verdict will be pronounced on Monday.
During Sunday's hearing, the division bench said it was “highly unjust” that authorities had put up roadside banners with photographs and information of people asked to pay compensation for damages to property during protests against the citizenship act and hoped they would be removed.
The Uttar Pradesh government, however, asserted that it was meant to be a “deterrent” action and the court should not interfere.
Several hoardings have come up in Lucknow on the behest of chief minister Yogi Adityanath identifying those accused on violence during the anti-CAA protests in the state last year.
The names, photographs and residential addresses of the accused have been listed on the hoardings and they have been asked to pay for the damage to property.
In Lucknow, around 50 people were identified by police as alleged rioters and were served notices.
Activist-politician Sadaf Jafar and former IPS officer S. R. Darapuri were among those whose photos appeared on the posters.
Jafar had called the action unethical and vowed to take legal recourse. “How can we be publicly humiliated for something that has not yet been proved in court,” she said. “Legal issues cannot be brought into public like this. Our bail order says there is no adequate evidence against us,” Jafar told PTI.