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Holding the state government in contempt of its earlier order to disburse compensation to the kin of those killed in the 2011 serial blasts in the city, the Bombay High Court Tuesday imposed on it Rs 25,000 in costs and asked it to be paid to the petitioner by Monday next.
The HC was acting on a petition filed by Prakash Seth, a jeweller in Zaveri Bazaar, who had argued that the kin of the four persons from Thane who were killed in the blast at Zaveri Bazaar were not given compensation.
“The first order was passed on August 12. Why there was so much delay? And notwithstanding the contempt notice, why is the chief secretary not present?” a bench of Justices A S Oka and G S Kulkarni asked additional public prosecutor Abhinandan Vagyani.
The judges had on August 12 passed an order and asked the state to not only compensate the victims of the 2011 serial blasts. Following non-compliance of its order, the HC had on September 15 issued a contempt notice to the state’s chief secretary.
The HC was informed by the petitioner that after its September 15 order directing the state again to compensate all victims, the kin of the victims from Thane were given compensation on September 17.
However, the HC was not impressed. “This is a fit case to impose costs. There is gross insensitivity and default shown by the state,” the court said. “Though we pass orders, the state does not comply. This is how the state makes us helpless,” the court said.
The 2011 serial explosions in Opera Bazaar, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar (west) had left 26 people dead and 130 injured.
aamir.khan@expressindia.com
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