The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to award a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of 19 people who had died in a rail accident in Uttar Pradesh over five years ago.
A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice U U Lalit asked the Ministry of Railways to compensate the family members of those who lost their lives or who suffered permanent disability or those who were grievously or small injuries in the accident on February 1, 2011 involving Jammu Tawi-Howrah Himgiri Express in Shahjahanpur district.
"Compensation of Rs 5 lakh be awarded to next of the kin of the deceased, Rs 1.5 lakh to those who suffered permanent disability, Rs 75,000 who suffered grievous injuries and Rs 25,000 for those who suffered small injuries," Justice Lalit said while writing the judgement for the bench.
The bench, which had reserved its verdict on the PIL filed by Anil Kumar Gupta on February 17 this year, had issued notices to the Centre.
A total of 19 people, while travelling atop the Himgiri Express, were killed after their heads were smashed against a foot overbridge at the Mohammadi railway crossing in Shahjahanpur district.
Earlier, the apex court had sought certain information including names and particulars of the persons who had died or were injured.
"Whether any ex-gratia payment has been made to the next of kin to those dead or to the persons who sustained injury, if so, the amount paid to them," it had asked.
It had also sought to know about the steps that have been taken by the Railways to remove infringement of Foot Over- Bridges (FOB) in Lucknow Division as set out in a document submitted by Commissioner of Railway Safety.
"Whether the Railways are aware that there are similar other infringements, FOB or ROB, in regard to the other railway divisions, if so, whether any steps have been taken to identify such infringements and to rectify the same, in particular, whether the Railways have taken any steps in regard to Recommendation..., made by the Commissioner of Railway Safety in the Report...
"If no steps have been taken the reasons for the omission and the time-frame within which the Railways shall do the needful," the apex court had asked.
