NHRC asks Government of Haryana to pay Rs.3 lakh in a case of road accident (25.9.2014)
PRESS RELEASE
New Delhi, 25th September, 2014
Even as Haryana Police, Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department continued to pass on the responsibility to each other in a case related to road accident, the National Human Rights Commission has recommended to the Government of Haryana, through its Chief Secretary that it pay Rs.3 lakh as monetary relief to the next of kin of deceased, Arvind, aged 21 and Gaurav, aged 20, who died when their motorcycle fell down from a broken road bridge into a drain on the 16th March, 2013. Both were students of Engineering College, Aurangabad, Palwal, Haryana. The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit compliance report along with the proof of payment within six weeks.
The direction came after the Commission received no requisite reply to the final reminder on its Show Cause Notice as to why Rs.3 lakh as monetary relief should not be paid to the next of kin of the two deceased, who became victims of carelessness of the State authorities.
The Haryana Police, in response to the Commission's notice had said that the Police Department did not have any provision to pay monetary relief of Rs.3 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. The PWD said that the case related to the construction of a new culvert in Palwal District by the Irrigation Department and the Engineer-in-Chief of the Department had already been requested to prepare a reply to the notice.
The Commission has observed that the accident had occurred due to the negligence of the State authorities who did not repair the broken road bridge. It also observed that subsequent to its notices, the police had taken action only against the Contractor, who was arrested under Section 279/304A, IPC and not against the concerned Engineer, who was also responsible for the same and hence, the State had to bear the liability.
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New Delhi, 25th September, 2014
Even as Haryana Police, Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department continued to pass on the responsibility to each other in a case related to road accident, the National Human Rights Commission has recommended to the Government of Haryana, through its Chief Secretary that it pay Rs.3 lakh as monetary relief to the next of kin of deceased, Arvind, aged 21 and Gaurav, aged 20, who died when their motorcycle fell down from a broken road bridge into a drain on the 16th March, 2013. Both were students of Engineering College, Aurangabad, Palwal, Haryana. The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit compliance report along with the proof of payment within six weeks.
The direction came after the Commission received no requisite reply to the final reminder on its Show Cause Notice as to why Rs.3 lakh as monetary relief should not be paid to the next of kin of the two deceased, who became victims of carelessness of the State authorities.
The Haryana Police, in response to the Commission's notice had said that the Police Department did not have any provision to pay monetary relief of Rs.3 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. The PWD said that the case related to the construction of a new culvert in Palwal District by the Irrigation Department and the Engineer-in-Chief of the Department had already been requested to prepare a reply to the notice.
The Commission has observed that the accident had occurred due to the negligence of the State authorities who did not repair the broken road bridge. It also observed that subsequent to its notices, the police had taken action only against the Contractor, who was arrested under Section 279/304A, IPC and not against the concerned Engineer, who was also responsible for the same and hence, the State had to bear the liability.
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