The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state government to pay compensation to the victims of 2011 triple blasts by November 24. The government will also have to pay them 18% interest (from Sept 2013 to this September) as it had failed to pay the victims till the issue was brought to the notice of the court.
A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Kulkarni also directed the government to come out with a detailed list of victims of all bomb blast cases and Naxalite attacks in the state, who had not been paid compensation as stipulated under a Central government scheme.
The bench said: "There was inordinate delay in releasing compensation. Only after the petition was filed did the state start paying. Here a complete neglect on the part of state government officers can be seen. As there is no explanation for the delay, the state will have to pay interest too."
The court directive came after it heard a public interest litigation filed by a jeweller from Zaveri Bazar, who pleaded that the kin of four victims from Thane and Ulhasnagar be paid compensation as soon as possible. Advocate Rahul Kadam said the families of Himmatbhai Gadia, Baburam Das and Bhupatbhai Navadia of Thane and Lalchand Ahuja of Ulhasnagar had not received compensation to date. Many others too hadn't received the money, he said.
Kadam stated that as a result of the Central scheme not being implemented properly, many other blast victims may not have received the money. Agreeing with the statement, the court directed the secretary, Relief and Rehabilitation, to verify the facts with all districts.
Twenty six people were killed and around 130 injured in the coordinated blasts at Zaveri Bazar, Opera House and Dadar (West). In August, the HC had directed the Thane collector to disburse compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh each announced by the Central government to the victims of the triple blasts within four weeks. As of now, the kin of four of the victims are still to be compensated.
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