New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday (October 28) continued it stay on counting of votes for the recently-held Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and directed several candidates who contested the polls to remove posters, banners, graffiti, hoardings, spray paints from the entire campus of the university and other places of the city.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also directed several candidates, who appeared before the court in pursuance to court’s last order, to file a fresh affidavit and give an undertaking that they will not deface public property in future and posted the matter for further hearing on November 11.
High Court earlier asked several DUSU candidates to appear before it on October 28 and explain their conduct
The High Court had in the last hearing had impleaded several candidates who contested the DUSU elections, held on September 27, as parties to proceedings before it in an alleged case of defacement of public property and asked them to appear before it on October 28 and explain their conduct.
DUSU candidates appeared before the High Court on Monday
The DUSU candidates on Monday appeared before the bench and expressed remorse at their actions of defacement of public property and said they would not repeat this conduct in the future. They also told the bench that they would remove posters, banners, graffiti, hoardings, spray paints from the entire Delhi University campus and other places of the city.
The bench took note of their submissions and gave them time to clean the mess, reiterating that it would order counting of votes only after cleaning of the defaced public properties.
High Court is hearing a plea seeking action against DUSU candidates for defacement of public properties
The High Court was hearing a plea seeking action against the DUSU candidates and student organisations allegedly involved in damaging, defacing, soiling and destroying public walls. The petitioner has submitted that public properties across all quarters of Delhi have been defaced due to the DUSU election for 2024-25 in blatant violation of not only the applicable civil and penal provisions, JM Lyngdoh Committee Guidelines and undertakings given by the aspiring candidates, but also in direct contravention of the orders of the High Court.
High Court on September 26 stayed counting of DUSU polls
The High Court, while expressing its shock at defacement of public property and expenditure being incurred in the DUSU elections, had halted counting of votes, scheduled to take on September 28.
“Though the voting in the DUSU and college elections be held tomorrow (September 27), yet the counting of votes for either DUSU elections or the college elections shall not take place till this court is satisfied that the posters/graffiti/hoardings/spray paint are removed, the vandalized public properties are restored and the losses suffered by civic agencies, government departments and DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) due to defacement are made good by the erring candidates,” the High Court had said in its September 26 order.
