New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Friday said it would intervene if the shutdown of Delhi's Connaught Place over a Tiranga protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party resulted in unlawful business losses.
During an oral mention seeking an early listing of the plea, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said it would act in accordance with established principles of compensation if the restrictions imposed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) were found to be disproportionate. The court agreed to list the matter on October 26 or 27, after the Dussehra break. Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai mentioned the petition filed by the Delhi Kirana Committee and the Delhi Iron and Hardware Merchant Association, expressing concern that the proposed protest at Central Park would disrupt business worth Rs 200 crore a day.
He submitted that the NDMC had issued a notice late Thursday night announcing the closure of the area. The bench noted that the Delhi High Court was already hearing a related matter, with Justice Joymalya Bagchi observing that the protest, business activities and law-and-order concerns were interconnected. CJI Surya Kant said the disruption could affect small shopkeepers and their families during the festive season.
The bench, however, said the plea would be heard after the vacation on October 26. Justice Bagchi added that if the NDMC's restrictions were found disproportionate and caused unlawful business losses, the court could order compensation under its constitutional tort jurisdiction.
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