Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh (UP) has become the first district to recover amount from the accused who were involved in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) causing damage to public property, reports Times of India.

The district magistrate has received a demand draft totalling to Rs 6.27 lakh from the residents of the troubled region for the damage caused during protestations held on 20 December.

The development comes days after officials from various districts had dispatched notices to the identified miscreants following a directive from Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath. However, it should be noted that the officials from Bulandshahr were still to serve any notices for the damages caused.

The senior officials have called the development a ‘voluntary act of repentance’ and have heralded it as a positive step. A delegation led by local politician Shakilullah and other dignitaries from Kotwali area in Bulandshahr has also submitted a letter to the administration pledging that a repeat of violence would never occur in future.

SSP Santosh Kumar Singh reportedly said: “This is a positive step. This has avoided us the long process of sending notices to the rioters and getting them to reimburse for the damage.”