PIL for compensating damage to public property withdrawn

A public interest litigation (PIL) which demanded that Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel must be made to pay for damage to public property during stir-related violence was withdrawn from the Gujarqt High Court today.
The move came after a division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel asked the petitioner to withdraw the PIL failing which it would be rejected with a cost.
The Gujarat High Court asked the petitioner, who is a city-based lawyer Charudatt Vyas, to approach the state government in connection with his demand.
In his plea, the petitioner had demanded a commission to assess the damage caused to public and private properties.

"The state government has not initiated any action to investigate and assess damages caused to public and private properties or award compensation though guidelines have been framed by the Supreme Court in 2009," the plea said.
The plea had sought setting up of a commission "to investigate, assess and fix responsibility on Hardik Patel and his associates for the damage caused to public and private properties and also recover expenses incurred by the state government to control the law and order situation".

The petition had also said that Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and Akhil Bhartiya Sardar Patel Seva Dal had started the agitation.

Hardik Patel and his associates Chirag Patel and Dinesh Patel had organised a rally on August 25 at GMDC Ground here where he made an provocative speech, the plea alleged.
"On account of the provocative speech by Hardik Patel and unwarranted actions or inaction of the police, the public meeting suddenly turned violent," the plea said.
The PIL referred to local media reports which stated that properties worth Rs 100 crore were damaged.
After hearing the petitioner's submission, the Gujarat High Court disposed off the PIL.