HC asks state to pay Rs 7.32 cr damages
Tags:
Chennai: The Madras high court on Thursday directed the state government to sanction Rs 7.32 crore towards damages to families of victims of the recent caste violence in Dharmapuri district, in which houses belonging to Dalits were torched by a mob after a caste Hindu man committed suicide over his daughter marrying a dalit boy.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice Aruna Jagadeesan also directed the government to appoint former Madurai district collector U. Sagayam to assist the Dharmapuri district collector in disbursing the amount.
The bench posted to February 4 further hearing of a batch of petitions from advocate S. Sengodi and four others.
The bench pointed out that the proposed relief measures of Rs 1.63 crore besides Rs 50,000 paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund was not sufficient.
“In our view the amount that has been sanctioned is not at all sufficient, taking into consideration the mental agony and pain undergone by the affected people of the area. Further, the matter of providing adequate relief is under consideration with the government from January 5,” said the court.
“We direct the government to sanction Rs 7.32 crore within two weeks from today. We also direct the government to appoint U. Sagayam to assist the Dharmapuri collector in disbursing the amount to the 326 families of Natham colony, Anna Nagar, Kondampatti and Chengalmedu in Dharmapuri,” said the bench.
On November 7, houses, huts and other property belonging to dalits were torched by a mob of non-dalits after a caste Hindu man committed suicide over his daughter marrying a dalit boy from one of the colonies.
On December 3, 2012, the court had directed the district administration to provide best medical facilities to persons admitted in hospital with injuries suffered during the violence.
Post new comment