25 November,2016 09:30 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
State says that it did not pay victims in most cases as the Centre provided them the Rs 3 lakh compensation
File pic of 26/11 attack
It has been eight years since the devastating 26/11 terrorist attacks and the kin of those who died in the attacks have been left shortchanged in ways more than one. Around 68 of 166 dead in the attacks are yet to get the compensation proposed by the Central government. None of the foreign nationals affected in the blast have received any compensation either.
The government has paid around R7.90 crore in total to the kin of 98 dead in the attacks. The state government, in reply to a Public Interest Litigation filed by lawyer Rajeshwar Panchal claimed that the centre or state has paid most of the victims, but 68 of them were not given any compensation.
Panchal claimed in the Bombay high court that the state government had passed a circular in December 2008, saying that it will give all the victims will Rs 5 lakh but it had not done so. The Centre paid Rs 3 lakh to each victim and the state increased the compensation to R5 lakh. But, it did not pay in most of the cases stating that the Centre paid instead.
"If you check the affidavit filed by the state government they have given reasons like not finding the victim's kin to pay them. It can be acceptable for one or two cases but not for such a large number," said Panchal. Chief Justice Manjulla Chellur and Justice Mahesh Sonak have kept the matter for hearing in December and have asked the petitioner to come up with more documents.
