Families of deceased sailors request ACJ to act against RG

Five days after the suicide of the parents of one of the six sailors killed in October 31 when M V Pratibha Cauvery ran aground here, relatives of the other victims today requested the Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court to take action against the Registrar General for non-compliance of the court's earlier order.
The parents of Niranjan who was on board the ship when it ran aground committed suicide at their residence on February 22, frustrated over delay in compensation ordered by the Court.
The court had on December 21 last ordered Pratibha Shipping Company Limited to pay Rs 87.45 lakh as interim relief to the legal heirs of the victims.

While the company had deposited Rs 30 lakh as compensation for families of all victims in the course of the hearing, Niranjan was entitled for Rs 9 lakh, in the final order.
"Though the High Court has given specific direction to the RG to disburse compensation amount on production of legal heir certificate, Chockalingam, the Registrar General has not disbursed the said amount," according to the memorandum.
Packyalakshmi, the sister of Nirajan's father said it was solely the delay in disbursal of compensation that had driven the couple to suicide

The families requested the ACJ to take necessary action against the RG "who has disobeyed the order of the court and thereby caused the deaths of two persons".

Meanwhile, T P Senthilkumar, an advocate for families of the deceased sailors gave another representation to Inspector of Police, High Court Police Station, asking him to register an FIR against the RG for alleged offence of abetment of suicide of Niranjan's parents.
The RG's 'attitude' had instigated the two to commit suicide and hence he had committed offence of abetment of suicide, punishable under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, he said.