10 held in UP for damaging properties during Agnipath protests

MEERUT: The Meerut division of claims tribunal under the UP Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act, 2020, has directed 10 men, accused of "damaging" public property during violent stir against the launch of Agnipath scheme earlier this year, to pay an aggregate compensation of Rs 1,04,620. Chandra Prakash Mani Tripathi, joint director (prosecution, Meerut) confirmed this on Saturday.
All the accused protesters, aged below 30, belong to different villages of Aligarh district. Tripathi added that the claims tribunal after hearing out both the parties, gave its decision on December 22. A copy of the directive has been sent to Aligarh district magistrate Indra Vikram Singh for recovery, he further said.
Under the UP recovery of damages law, sub-inspector Ranjit Kumar had filed claims before the tribunal, saying that 10 people damaged three buses, including one each of the Etah, Mainpuri and Khurja depot of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation during protests against the Agnipath scheme near Somana toll plaza under Gabhana police station area in Aligarh on June 16, 2022.
The directive by the tribunal in the 'Agniveer' case comes after a similar directive was recently issued against 86 people accused of damaging public property during protests in Amroha three years ago against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. They have been ordered to pay an aggregate compensation of Rs 4,27,439.