SC seeks Attorney General’s help to deal with public property damage cases

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to assist it on the approach to be adopted in dealing with cases where public property has been damaged in large scale, as it heard an appeal of quota stir leader Hardik Patel in a criminal case.

It also directed the Gujarat police to provide Hardik an English translation of its chargesheet filed in the case against him and others for allegedly instigating the Patel community members to kill policemen. 

A Bench comprising Justices JS Khehar and C Nagappan asked the state police to do the needful by January 27 and ordered the listing of Hardik’s plea for hearing on February 3.

The Bench also asked Rohatgi, appearing for the Gujarat government, to assist it on the approach to be adopted in dealing with cases, where public property was damaged on a large scale.

However, Hardik’s counsel alleged that the English version of the chargesheet had not been provided to him and moreover, the police had supplied a password-protected CD of the video footage to him without the password. 

The court asked the police to also give the CD’s password to Hardik.

Earlier, the court had allowed the Gujarat police to file a chargesheet in the case, in which it was alleged that Hardik had instigated Patel community members to kill policemen and adopted violent means to “wage war against Gujarat government”.

The Apex Court’s order had come when Rohatgi had sought permission to file the chargesheet on the ground that if it was not filed, the accused will be entitled to get bail. The court had refused to look into the draft charge sheet of the police.