Gujarat HC overturns decades-old verdict on 1986 riot property damage claims

The Gujarat High Court has overturned a 28-year-old City Civil Court verdict that had ordered the state to pay compensation for shop damage suffered during the 1986 communal riots in Ahmedabad's Behrampura area.

The court ruled that while properties were undeniably damaged during the riots, claimants seeking compensation for personal belongings must present definitive evidence regarding ownership, existence, and the exact value of the destroyed goods. The high court emphasized that compensation cannot be granted based on mere claims without reliable corroborative proof.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by a local tailor, Iqbal Hussain Ibrahim Sheikh, who claimed rioters destroyed his shop, causing losses worth ₹50,400 in furniture, machinery, and customer clothing. While the state government had initially provided a lump-sum relief of ₹5,000, the Civil Court in September 1998 ruled in favor of the tailor, ordering the state to pay the remaining ₹45,400.

Challenging this 28-year-old decree, the District Collector filed an appeal. Setting aside the lower court's order, Justice Doshi stated that the previous judgment was based on a flawed assessment of merits and evidence. The high court subsequently directed that any compensation amount previously deposited by the state government must be legally returned.