NEW DELHI: The administrations of several UP districts have served recovery notices on 130 people for their alleged role in the “violent” anti-CAA stirs in various parts of the state, asking them to pay up over Rs 50 lakh to avoid attachment of their properties.

Notices were served on Wednesday to 28 people in Rampur, 26 in Sambhal, 43 in

and 33 in Gorakhpur for damaging property during Friday’s protests. According to the notices, properties worth Rs 14.8 lakh in Rampur, nearly Rs 15 lakh in Sambhal and Rs 19.7 lakh in Bijnor were damaged in the violence.

Many too poor to hire lawyers

In Gorakhpur, officials are yet to arrive at a final figure in monetary terms.

magistrate Anujaneya Kumar Singh said, “Only those people who were caught in pictures and videos pelting stones or damaging property were served notices. We have given them a week’s time to reply. Meanwhile, we have asked government departments, including PWD, transport,

parishad and police lines, whose property was damaged during the violence, to submit a detailed verification report. Of the 28 people served notices, a few have already been arrested.”

A police personnel sticks a collage of people involved in violence during protest against CAA and NRC obtained from video footage and CCTV camera footage in Gorakhpur. (PTI photo)

The inventory of damaged property worth Rs 14.86 lakh in Rampur, as mentioned in notices sent by ADM (finance), includes damaged police vehicles, police barriers and equipment like a wireless set, a loudspeaker, 10 sticks, three helmets, two body protectors and three cane shields.

Sambhal DM

Krishan Singh said, “We have served recovery notices to 26 people for damaging property worth nearly Rs 15 lakh. Many of them have been arrested.”

Bijnor DM Ramakant Pandey said, “We have assessed public properties damaged by protesters, which amounts to Rs 19.7 lakh. Notices have been issued to 43 rioters, following which the process to attach their properties will begin.”

In Gorakhpur, Kotwali circle officer V P Singh said, “Those issued notices have been asked to reach the police station concerned by Thursday. If they do not turn up or fail to clarify their stand on charges against them, their properties may be attached.”

Meanwhile, many of those served notices claimed they had no role in the alleged violence during the protests. Many are too poor to even engage lawyers for their kin in detention.

In Rampur, the families of Pappu, Mehmood and Zameer, all residents of Nayi Basti area, received notices on Wednesday. Pappu’s wife Seema, a mother of five children, told TOI, “My husband, a daily-wage labourer, was sleeping at home on Sunday morning when police arrested him.” Tasleem Jahan, whose husband Zameer too was arrested, said, “We have got no money to pay fine to the government.”

Mohd Waseem, the brother-in-law of Mehmood, said, “No picture or video can prove Mehmood’s participation in the protests. Mehmood just came out of his house when cops arrived here to arrest Pappu and Zameer. He too was bundled into the police jeep.”