High Court directive on Tura custodial death
SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi to deposit Rs 10 lakh with the registry of the Court to pay as compensation amount for the mother of victim of custodial death Balasan Marak (20).
Balsan, who was arrested by police in connection with the torture of 12 young girls in Tura, died on May 20 last year while he was in judicial custody after being brought from the Tura district jail to the Civil Hospital for treatment.
A case was filed in the High Court by Meena S Marak, the mother of the victim on June 18 seeking compensation and an inquiry by the CBI.The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice TNK Singh said in the order on Wednesday that the Deputy Commissioner should submit the cheque of the sanctioned amount of Rs 10 lakh, after drawing the amount under the order of the State Government, to the registry of the Court within a week for appropriate orders .
While Sujit Dey appeared for the petitioner, KS Kynjing, Advocate General, assisted by Y Shylla, Government Advocate, represented the state respondents.
The Advocate General, appearing for the respondents, submitted that the State Government had sanctioned the ex-gratia payment of Rs. 10 lakh and sent the sanction letter to the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner for delivery to the petitioner.
However, the counsel for the petitioner, made a submission that on earlier occasion also, a cheque of Rs. 3 lakh had been sanctioned by the Government to be handed over to the petitioner. “However, the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills, called the petitioner to his office and created a big drama after calling media persons”, the counsel for the petitioner said, while adding that the petitioner being aggrieved by the custodial death of her son declined to accept the cheque and broke down in the office itself.
Hence the counsel for the petitioner made a submission that the Deputy Commissioner may be directed to submit the cheque to the registry for payment to the petitioner which was accepted by the Court.
The matter will come up again for hearing on October 28.