Delhi HC issues notices to DUSU candidates over alleged defacement of public property

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to several candidates who contested the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections in September 2024, summoning them to appear on 28 October in connection with alleged defacement of public property. A bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela has impleaded the candidates in the ongoing case, directing them to explain their conduct before the court.

The court, which had previously halted the vote counting of the DUSU elections until all defacement, including posters, hoardings, and graffiti, was removed and public property restored, has reiterated its warning. During the hearing, it expressed dissatisfaction with Delhi University’s administrative failure in preventing the defacement and urged the vice-chancellor to take remedial measures.

This comes as the Delhi High Court continues to hear a plea seeking action against DUSU candidates and student organisations involved in allegedly defacing public walls during the elections. The polling took place on 27 September, but the scheduled vote count on 28 September was halted due to the court’s intervention.

Simultaneously, Delhi University plans to appeal the High Court’s order, which directed the institution to pay Rs 1 crore as compensation to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for cleaning the defaced property across the city. The MCD had submitted to the court that it incurred the substantial expense for removing defacement in its 12 zones. Although the court suggested DU may recover this amount from the candidates, the university has expressed concerns over the financial burden.

Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh indicated that the university lacks the funds to pay the compensation and cannot reasonably expect students to bear the cost.

Despite instructions for candidates to adhere to regulations, many continued to flout the rules, placing the institution in a difficult position. Singh stated that DU will appeal for an exemption from the compensation.

The court has refused to lift the stay on vote counting, requiring a fresh status report from the MCD and Delhi Police on defacement cleanup by the next hearing. Both ABVP and NSUI have raised concerns about the delay in announcing election results.