U'khand HC orders Rs 25L compensation to son of woman home

The Uttarakhand High Court today ordered payment of compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the dependent son of a woman home guard who died of a gunshot injury sustained in an accidental fire at a police station in the line of duty.
The gunshot was fired accidentally when a pistol was being cleaned by a constable at the police station.
A division bench of justices Rajeev Sharma and Alok Singh also directed that the appellant be granted a job in the police department or the home guard organisation.
The court further directed the state government to consider raising the daily wages of home guards from Rs 400 at present to Rs 750.

The order came on a petition filed by Peter, the dependent son of the lady home guard who had contended that after the death of his mother he had been paid a meagre amount of Rs 50000 as compensation.
He had prayed for an increase in the compensation amount and a job for himself as his mother had died in harness.
A single bench of the high court had earlier rejected his plea.