New Delhi: Families of 446 persons, including 230 children, who were charred to death at a school function in Dabwali, Haryana, can expect some interim compensation after 15 long years as the Supreme Court on Monday directed DAV School Society to pay up first tranche of Rs 10 crore. Not appreciating the attempt by DAV School to further delay paying the compensation amount fixed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court by moving an appeal against it in the apex court, a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan asked the school management to deposit Rs 10 crore within six weeks. It also asked the interim compensation amount so deposited with the additional civil judge (senior division ) at Sirsa to be proportionately distributed among victims after proper verification.The Bench clarified that this was an interim amount that was needed to be deposited by the school and that it would be subject to the final outcome of the appeal filed against the HC order.
The school management had challenged a November 9, 2009 decision of the HC, which fastened the liability of the school finding it amiss in its duty to ensure safety of the children and their parents at the schools annual function at a banquet hall in Dabwali on December 23,1995. The fire caused by an electric short circuit soon turned the entire polythene and plastic sheet enclosed tented area into a furnace,leaving all escape routes blocked. If 446 people could not escape the fire, 200 escaped to tell the story of horror. The HC had appointed a one-man commission to inquire into the incident and work out a compensation package. Based on its report, the HC had directed the school management to shoulder 55% of the total compensation package of Rs 47 crore along with 6% interest. The state authorities Electricity Board, Municipal Committee and Deputy Commissioner had accepted their liability to pay up the remaining 45% of the compensation amount.
Critical of the school for not paying up till date and instead blaming the banquet hall owner, the Bench said, You must ensure that the place where you conduct such functions is safe. Do not say you have no liability. If the schools counsel senior advocate L N Rao argued that his client could not be burdened with such a huge compensation, lawyer Anju Arora, appearing for the victims association, said the school encashed on the sympathy following the incident and utilised the funds collected.
Wait Over
Short circuit in schools banquet hall killed 446 people on Dec 23,1995 HC directed school to shoulder 55% of total compensation package of Rs 47 cr School challenged the HCs order and appeals in SC Interim amount would be subject to outcome of appeal filed against the HC order
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Woman in stray dog mishap gets Rs 1.5L compensation
Chennai: A woman,who was injured when a stray dog jumped in front of a two-wheeler she was riding pillion with her husband,is set to get compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh from the insurance company.Passing an order to this effect on Friday, the motor accidents claims tribunal here said a compensation of Rs 1,49,500 should be paid to S Lalitha, 31, who met with the accident in 2004. Her husband N Sriraman was riding his friend H Sundararamans bike when the stray dog jumped in front of the bike near Sathya Studio on October 24,2004. Sriraman lost balance and fell. As a result, Lalitha suffered grade-II fracture in the right leg besides severe injuries all over the body. Lalitha, who was a tailor earning over Rs 4,000 per month, had lost her income. She was unable to stand, squat or walk fast. She was also unable to fold her leg, the tribunal was told. Her counsel VS Suresh sought a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the pain and mental agony, besides the loss of income.
The New India Assurance Company Limited filed a counter raising doubts about the age, income, place and date of the accident and the nature of injuries of the victim. The compensation claim was excessive, it argued.
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(source-toi)
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