The Lucknow administration on Thursday sealed a welding shop owned by one Nafees in the Khurram Nagar area of the State capital. Mr. Nafees became the third person to have his property sealed by the Uttar Pradesh government as part of its drive to recover damages caused to public and private property during last December’s protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
The administration said it would auction the properties on July 16, adding that four recovery certificates had been issued so far.
Lucknow Tehsildar Shambhu Sharan said the shop was sealed as part of the recovery certificate issued by the ADM East.
Mr. Nafees is an accused in the Hazratganj violence case that involved vandalism and arson at the Parivartan Chowk on December 19, 2019.
The administration had on Tuesday sealed a scrap shop owned by Mahenoor Chaudhary and a garment store, whose assistant manager Dharamvir Singh is among the accused. Both were asked to pay fines of ₹21.76 lakh as per the notices issued to them.
The Lucknow administration had earlier this year issued notices to 57 persons, spread over four police stations, amounting to ₹1.56 crore, including ₹64.37 lakh in Hazratganj alone.
The names, photos and addresses of the accused were displayed on hoardings erected across the city to “name and shame” them.
According to an order issued by the ADM East in February, Mr. Nafees was judged to have been a part of the violent protest after he did not respond to the recovery notice despite getting “sufficient time and opportunity.” He could not be reached for comment.
