Delhi HC asks for DU's response over ₹1 crore expenditure on property damage after student election, urges VC to take action

The University of Delhi (DU) vice chancellor was directed by the Delhi High Court on Oct 21 to be "pro-active" in issuing notices to numerous student candidates for allegedly damaging public property on Sep 27 during the student union elections.

The HC also asked for the university's response over the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) allegation that it used private contractors to clean up these polluted properties, spending Rs 1 crore.

The court said that candidates who could afford Rolls-Royce and other high-end vehicles and tractors during their campaigns should "also spend money to clean up public premises" and refused to relieve the vote-counting delay.

The hearing is scheduled for Oct 28 after the HC ordered police, MCD, and DU to provide new status reports.

“There are cars without number plates in the DU area; people campaign in Rolls-Royce and other luxury cars, but police and the university are doing nothing. Do you even have a vice chancellor?" asked a bench of Chief Justice Mamohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

“We are saying it mildly that he needs to be proactive, else we will pass orders. It is very surprising. You have to do something. These candidates study in your colleges, and you have full power," they added.

The High Court rejected Delhi University’s assertion that 90% of its colleges, institutes, and campus had been cleared of defacement.

This claim was contested not only by the petitioner, Advocate Prashant Manchanda, but also by representatives from DMRC and MCD, who were represented by standing counsels Pushkar Sood and Sanjeev Sabharwal, respectively.

The court remarked, “How can students be allowed to engage in hooliganism on highways? This is not an acceptable situation. It reflects an administrative failure on DU’s part that has resulted in this troubling scenario. Remedial actions must be taken.”

The court also emphasized that the police should take action against such behaviors and deemed it a serious issue.

The Delhi High Court on Oct 9 ordered the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election candidates to remove any graffiti from the campus. The court said that if the public property is restored, the court will allow the vote to be counted the next day.

When these candidates can afford enormous luxury automobiles for campaigning, they can certainly spend money to clean it up," the court added.

According to the office of the chief election officer, DUSU, a total of 1,45,893 students from 52 colleges had cast their votes in the election.