Gujarat Government need not pay for repairing sanctums damaged in post Godhra riots: SC junks HC order

New Delhi, August 29: The Supreme Court discarded High Court order, that had demanded Gujarat government to fund repair work of sanctums that were damaged during the 2002 Godhra riots, says media reports.

The state government’s plea challenging Gujarat HC’s order was accepted by a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice PC Pant. The bench added that state government’s scheme of paying by favour of Rs 50,000 for damaged residential and commercial properties would be applicable to religious properties also.

Tushar Mehta, additional Solicitor General, who had represented the state government told that the government would pay from ex-gratia amount for repair and reconstruction works of several buildings that were damaged.

As per media reports, the HC had asked the state government to pay compensation to over 500 sanctum that were damaged during the 2002 riots after Godhra incident. Supreme Court, in April 2017, had observed that it would pass an order on the issue if a court can order the state to fund for restoring the religious structures damaged due to the government’s failure to maintain law and order, as it happened during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

According to media reports, the court while reserving its verdict had asked the parties to file written submissions in the matter. At the same time, it clarified that “it should not be on communal lines”. The High Court had issued an interim direction for computation of actual damages to the places of worship. This would be made by ‘special officers’ who were District Judges.