The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed a notice issued to Haldwani riot mastermind Abdul Malik asking him to pay Rs 2.6 crore for the damage caused to public property during the commotion. The bench of Justice Manoj Kumar quashed the notice on Friday on Malik’s plea that the charges against him are yet to be proved in a court.
The Haldwani Municipal Corporation issued the notice to Malik on April 25, asking him to pay the amount within three days.
Malik, who is in jail, had challenged the notice in the high court, saying the allegations against him are yet to be proved in a court and hence, the recovery should not be made.
Violence erupted in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area on February 8 after the demolition of a madrasa and a place for people to offer prayers built by Malik on illegally-grabbed government land.
