Mangalore crash: Supreme Court notice on Rs75 lakh compensation

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the central government and Air India on a petition seeking a minimum compensation of Rs75 lakh each for the 158 passengers killed in the May 2010 air crash in Mangalore.

An apex court bench issued the notice after senior counsel Harish Salve appearing for petitioner S Abdul Salam and others told the court that under the Montreal convention the national carrier was obliged to pay a minimum compensation of 1,00,000 SDRs (special drawing rights) to the kith and kin of the passengers who died in the crash.

The SDR is a mix of currency values established by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to the current value, one lakh SDR adds up to Rs75 lakh.

The court has directed the matter be listed for final hearing in April.

Abdul Salam is the father of Mohammed Rafiq who was killed in the May 22, 2010, crash.

The Air India Express flight 812 from Dubai to Mangalore overshot the runway while landing at the table top Bajpe airport, about 20km from Mangalore, and caught fire after plunging about 300 metres off a cliff.