The 26/11 attacks left 26 foreigners from 14 countries dead. Within a fortnight after the tragedy, the state government dispatched cheques to all 14 consulates.
The 26/11 attacks left 26 foreigners from 14 countries dead. Within a fortnight after the tragedy, the state government dispatched cheques to all 14 consulates, so that compensation could reach the nearest of kin of the victims.
Four consulates - of the US, Germany, Mauritius and the UK - have sent back the cheques to Mumbai city collector IA Kundan, said an official of the state government on condition of anonymity.
Seven US citizens were killed by the terrorists, but the American consulate has expressed its inability to accept the cheques on behalf of the beneficiaries. Neither will it help the state government trace them by providing names. It has advised the government to find out on its own the legal heirs of the US nationals killed.
The German consulate too has returned the cheques, suggesting that help be given in Euro directly to the relatives of the three German nationals killed in the carnage.
The Mauritian consulate has said that by not accepting the financial aid, the wife of the lone deceased from that country wanted to keep her legal options open. The British consulate - one from the isles was killed - returned the cheque without furnish any explanation.
For each victim, the government had awarded Rs5 lakh as ex gratia and Rs25,000 to take care of the last rites. Of the remaining victims, two each were from France, Israel, Canada and Australia. The rest comprised one each from Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Netherlands and Singapore.
Interestingly, the financial aid announced by the Centre has to be initiated through city collectorate. The amount is to be deposited in the accounts of the victims’ legal heirs. “However, as no consulate has provided us with the bank accounts, the procedure is stalled,” said the official.
The US consulate’s attitude has disturbed the administration so much that the collector has written back to them, expressing discontent over the stand of non-cooperation.
Kundan confirmed the refusal by the consulates. “We have asked them to help us in ascertaining the legal heirs of the victims for financial assistance. Without their help, it is not possible for us to trace the official beneficiaries,” she said.
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