Mohsin Shaikh murder: Why compensation has not been paid to family, High Court asks state government

A bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Karnik asked the government as to why the amount was not disbursed to Shaikh’s family and also why the government doesn’t have its own scheme to compensate such victims.

Mohsin, who worked in a Pune firm, was attacked on his way home after offering prayers at a mosque on the night of June 2, 2014. His friend Riyaz Ahmed Mubarak Shendure was with him when they were targeted, allegedly by HRS members, protesting against a Facebook post of allegedly derogatory pictures of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Bal Thackeray. Later, a murder case was registered at Hadapsar police station. HRS members, including their leader Dhananjay Jayram Desai alias Bhai, were arrested.

Sadiq’s lawyer told the court that in September 2014, Shaikh’s family had applied for compensation under the Centre’s scheme. The district level committee held them eligible.

Sadiq’s lawyer told the court that the family did not receive any compensation till 2017. Sadiq even visited the Collector’s office. According to the lawyer, on June 14 this year, the state government came up with a GR to pay Rs 10 lakh to Shaikh’s family: Rs 5 lakh from the Centre; Rs 5 lakh from the state.

The counsel for the state government told the court that the district level committee has upheld the compensation to be paid to the family. The counsel sought time to check why the amount has not been given yet.  The bench posted the matter to Thursday.