SC won't stay HC's order against UP govt’s ‘name-shame’ hoardings; refers to larger bench

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order directing the concerned authorities to remove the posters of those accused persons allegedly involved in vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh. While hearing the matter on Thursday, the Supreme Court bench directed the matter to be referred to a three-judge bench.

"We direct, let the papers be placed before the Hon'ble CJI so that the a bench of sufficient strength consider the matter in the coming week", stated the bench comprising of Justices UU Lalit and Aniruddha Bose

'There is no backing of the law'

The SC bench also asked the Uttar Pradesh government under which law it publicly pasted the posters of the protesters who demonstrated against the CAA. Highlighting the issue of privacy, Justice UU Lalit said that while the court agrees there should not be unruly behaviour, there must be some law which backs the action of putting up the hoardings. “In this case, there is no backing of the law,” said Justice Lalit.

On Monday, the Allahabad High Court cited the Right to Privacy as a fundamental human right recognised by the United Nations as well as the Supreme Court, and said the government's move to display photographs and personal details of the accused on roadside hoardings was "unwarranted interference in privacy". The court had also asked the Lucknow administration to give a compliance report on the removal of the hoardings to the registrar general by March 16.

READ | MNS alleges trees in Govt quarters injected with chemicals, felled to put up hoardings

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court order directing it to take down the hoardings installed across Lucknow city against 57 persons accused of “vandalising public properties” during anti-CAA protests.

READ | 'Landmark': BSP lauds Allahabad HC's order on anti-CAA protesters' hoarding removal

The Uttar Pradesh Police had on March 5 put up several hoardings across Lucknow, identifying those accused of violence during the protests that took place against the CAA in December last year.

READ | Congress' Ashwani Kumar lauds HC's decision of pulling down 'name & shame hoardings'

READ | Allahabad HC orders UP govt to remove 'name & shame' hoardings for CAA violence suspects