Punish offenders for defacing public property

New Delhi, July 14 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today asked the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government to initiate criminal proceedings against the offenders who were defacing public buildings, including the pillars of the Delhi Metro.

A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kailash Gambhir directed the Delhi Government to make a blueprint to punish the offenders.

While the hearing was on, senior counsel Ram Jethmalani submitted that the authorities could punish the offenders under the sections 434 and 425 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for destroying public property.

The sponsors of the posters and banners could be punished upto one year of imprisonment or fine or both for defacing public buildings.

The Court appreciated the submission by Mr Jethmalani.

The SHOs of eight police stations were present in the court.

Advocate Monica Arora had filed the PIL along with photographs of public property, including that of Delhi Metro stations, whose walls had been plastered with posters and bills.

Ms Arora said the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections were due in another month and the whole of the capital would be ruined by pasting posters and banners.

She said the authorities should initiate action against the offfenders during the DUSU elections.

In 2005, the Court had passed orders saying that defacement of public property is a cognisable offence and the police should register cases and take action on their own if they found violation of the law that protects public property from defacement.

However, Ms Arora alleged people were defying the order with impunity and the city police were not taking action against them.

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