The Uttarakhand High Court has stayed a recovery notice of Rs 2.42 crore sent by the Municipal Corporation to Abdul Malik, the main accused in the Haldwani Banbhulpura violence.
The decision was made by a single bench of senior Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari after hearing the case.
Abdul Malik is a key accused in the violence at Haldwani. Stone-pelting incidents, torching of vehicles, and a mob surrounding the local police station were witnessed during the violence.
The notice, issued on February 12, 2024, demanded Abdul Malik deposit Rs. 2.42 crore within three days to cover the losses incurred during the riots on February 8 in Banbhulpura. The municipal notice claimed that many lives were lost, and government property worth crores of rupees was damaged during the violence, holding Malik responsible as the main accused.
Following Malik’s failure to pay the amount, the administration initiated recovery proceedings. A subsequent recovery notice was issued by the Haldwani Tehsildar on April 25. Malik challenged the municipal corporation’s order in the High Court, arguing that the allegations against him had not been proven and the case was still pending in court.
Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari, acknowledging the petitioner’s argument, has stayed the recovery notice, providing temporary relief to Abdul Malik while the court case continues.
In the violence that took place in Banbhulpura, Haldwani, on February 8, four people were killed and 250 policemen were injured. According to the police, the mob burned down Banbhulpura police station. A curfew was imposed in the entire town for two days.
The Haldwani Civil Court issued order on Feb 8 to confiscate the property of nine miscreants, including Abdul Malik and his son, the alleged mastermind of the violence that broke out in Banbhoolpura town following the demolition of an allegedly “illegal structure” as part of an anti-encroachment drive on February 8.
