The action of Uttar Pradesh (UP) authorities to seal and attach properties of “rioters” during the anti-CAA protests is “illegal”, former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd) Markandey Katju has said, while also raising questions over the role of the apex court in impartially discharging its duties.

In a long Facebook post, Katju explained that Section 147 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), under which the protesters have been booked by the police, has no provision for immediate sealing or confiscating the properties of the accused by an executive authority, such as the District Magistrate or SDM.

“So while I have no sympathy with those who rioted and damaged property in the recent agitations against the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) in towns in UP, in my opinion the action of the UP authorities is wholly illegal,” Katju wrote.