The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu goverment to pay compensation to parents of 47 missing children after ascertaining their identity within a period of four months.
Advocate General A L Somayaji submitted that in all the 47 child missing cases, the compensation under the Tamil Nadu Victim Compensation Scheme 2013 has to be paid and "the authority concerned is prepared to pay compensation".
The matter relates to a habeas corpus petition by 'Exnora', an NGO, highlighting the disappearance of two children, who were sleeping on a Chennai railway platform with their parents.
The court had earlier directed the state government to form a 'special child-missing squad' with officers trained in such cases.
When the case came up today, a report was filed by the government stating that there were 57 child missing cases pending investigation and compensation had already been paid in 10 cases. It was in only 47 cases, compensation had to be paid.
A division bench comprising Justice S Nagamuthu and Justice V Bharathidasan, said, "In our considered view, it would be appropriate for the superintendent of police concerned to hold summary inquiry and ascertain as to who the parents of the missing children are and then pay the amount...
"The task of paying compensation in the 47 cases shall be completed within a period of four months," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing to August 29.
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