New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday, October 15, sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking a direction that those who organise or call for protests be held responsible for loss of life, injury, and damage to public or private property.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a plea which said that no protest, dharna, demonstration, procession or public assembly be held in the national capital without the prior written permission of the competent authority.
The bench issued notice to the Centre, Delhi Police and others seeking their responses on the plea.
Plea seeks protest sites away from central, commercial areas in Delhi
The plea sought to declare that those who organise, call for, lead or convene any protest without prior permission or breach the conditions of permission, may be held “personally and/ or jointly and severally liable for loss of life, injury, damage to public or private property, restoration costs and public expenditure” resulting from the organiser’s unlawful act or omission.
It also sought a direction to the authorities to identify and notify designated sites in Delhi for protests, dharnas, demonstrations and public assemblies, situated at a distance from densely populated, commercial and central areas.
The plea also sought direction to the authorities to ensure that every application for permission to hold a protest, dharna, demonstration or procession be accompanied by a declaration on affidavit by the organiser disclosing the source of the funds with which the assembly is organised.
Organisers should unveil sources of funds
It said the organisers should also state whether any part of those funds has been or is to be received from a foreign source or from any source that cannot be identified.
The plea said a false or incomplete declaration by the organisers should be a ground for revocation of the permission, for recovery of compensation and costs from the organiser and from the persons disclosed or found to have financed the assembly, and also for prosecution in accordance with law.
