Pay Rs 10 lakh each to kin of Morbi victims, Gujarat High Court tells Oreva Group
Ahmedabad, February 22
The Gujarat High Court (HC) on Wednesday directed clock manufacturing firm Oreva Group, the company that maintained the Morbi suspension bridge which collapsed and killed 135 persons in October last year, to pay Rs 10 lakh as “interim” compensation to the kin of each deceased and Rs 2 lakh to each injured within four weeks.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt gave this direction to the company.
The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi town collapsed on October 30 last year, killing 135 persons and injuring 56 others. The court ordered the company that the kin of each deceased and every injured person be paid interim compensation of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, within four weeks.
On Tuesday, during a hearing of a suo motu PIL admitted last year following the tragedy, Ajanta Manufacturing Ltd (Oreva Group) had offered to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of those who died and Rs 1 lakh to the injured. In its interim order, the court said the central and the state governments have together provided Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each victim so far.
“The company had offered to give Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives and Rs 1 lakh to those injured. However, this is not enough. The company has to pay Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the victims and Rs 2 lakhs to those injured,” Justice Gokani said.
