The Hindu : Kin of 6 Godhra victims to get compensation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 12, 2003

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Kin of 6 Godhra victims to get compensation

Ahmedabad Oct. 11. The Railway Claims Tribunal here would pay Rs. 4 lakhs each to the families of six of the 59 victims of the Godhra train carnage of February 27 last year, official sources said here today.

Nearly 20 months after the carnage, the RCT had been able to decide only six cases even as evidence of claimants had been taken in 40 cases, while in 13 cases no one had come forward to claim compensation, sources in the tribunal said.

Hearing on the cases had been completed and the RCT would pronounce its orders on October 13.

A senior RCT official said on conditions of anonymity that one of the reasons for the delay was the absence of a full-time (judicial) member who was appointed only in March this year.

The official said such compensation cases were decided by a Division Bench of the tribunal and the presence of a full-time member was important for proper proceedings.

Another problem was that many VHP kar sevaks were reportedly travelling without tickets and hence their names did not figure in the reservation charts, another official said.

It was not possible to award compensation till bonafides of passengers were established, he said.

Moreover, DNA reports of 13 victims who were burnt beyond recognition were awaited to establish if they were kar sevaks or were among other passengers. — PTI

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Kin of 6 Godhra victims to get compensation