Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Gujarat need not pay to rebuild shrines destroyed in 2002 post-Godhra riots: SC

The Supreme Court on 29 August 2017 rejected the Gujarat High Court order asking the state government to pay for reconstruction and repair of shrines damaged and destroyed during the 2002 post-Godhra riots. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice P C Pant was hearing an appeal filed by the Gujarat government against the High Court order directing it to pay compensation to over 500 shrines damaged during the 2002 riots that followed the Godhra train burning incident.
The Gujarat High Court had earlier directed the state government  to quantify the damage caused to religious places during the riots and disburse money to rebuild them.  The BJP-led state government then challenged the order in the apex court contending that public funds could not be used for restoration of religious places. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the state government, said the state already has a scheme under which “an ex gratia fixed payment is given to the damage caused to the structures.”

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