'Give final c'sation to all 191 victims of police atrocities'

Providing relief to all 191 victims of alleged police atrocities in a clash between Dalits and caste Hindus on October 2 2008, the Madras High Court today ordered that they be given final compensation as per government order already issued and the interim amount already paid not be deducted.
Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran gave the direction while disposing a contempt petition moved by the All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA).
The Court said government should not deduct interim compensation already paid as AIDWA was willing to give up the calculation of the enhanced compensation as per the central government notification.

The Judges also directed the government to take action against the officials for omission and commission on their part and said government had the right to recover the amount from those officials through appropriate proceedings.
On the claim of eight persons who had been left out, the judges directed that they also be paid Rs 60,000.
As for the amount already sanctioned, the money should be paid within a week. For the balance amount, the government should pass the orders within four weeks.

On January 25, government had informed the court it had issued an order to pay a total compensation of Rs 1,14,60,000 to 191 Dalit families who fell victim to alleged police atrocities during the clash over painting of a temple wall.

Additional Advocate General K Chellapandian submitted a copy of the Government Order today to the court.
The contempt petition was moved againstthe Madurai Collector for not having paid the compensation despite specific orders passed by the Bench on April 8, 2013.
The G.O. Said each of the 191 families is eligible for Rs 60,000 as per a notification by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on December 23, 2011.
Hence they shall be paid the amount after deducting the amount of interim compensation already paid to them in September 2009 as per interim orders passed by the High Court, it said.