Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Blasts case counsel sore over salary delay

By V.S. Palaniappan

Coimbatore Aug. 11. State brief counsel appearing before the special court here in the Coimbatore serial bomb blasts case are sore over ``inordinate delay'' in salary payment.

According to sources, the delay for more than four months in payment of sitting fee for 25 members of counsel, appointed by the Government under the provisions of State Legal Services Authority for the undefended accused, "shouldn't become cause for any setback to the trial, which has just started progressing at a faster pace after witnessing a number of setbacks".

Counsel decided to wait for a week and then abstain from the court, if the salaries were not paid by then, said one of them on condition of anonymity. Nine of the counsel, hailing from places other than Coimbatore, who should be paid per day Rs. 2,500, including for accommodation and transportation, while 16 belonging to Coimbatore would get Rs. 1,500 daily. The payment had been due since March 21, said the sources.With the trial going on from Monday to Friday and from morning to evening, most of them had given up other practice, counsel said.

The judge, K. Uthirapathy, already gave a ruling that juniors appearing on behalf of the State brief counsel were not entitled to the fee and the Madras High Court did not setting aside the order. Two members of prosecution counsel have also been waiting for their fee, at Rs. 1,500 a day, from January. The Government should release the payment through the Special Investigation Team, prosecuting agency. The sources said the delay already led to heartburns among counsel.

Official sources, however, attributed the delay to administrative reasons and inadequate budgetary allocation.

Court sources said the salaries would be due only for three months; there would not be any major arrears for April, when the court held very few sittings in the absence of the presiding officer. Besides, the few days the sittings were held were only for extension of remand by the in-charge judge.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Reinstated staff join duty
• Jayalalithaa attends homam, calls on Kanchi Acharyas
• HC grants conditional bail to Azhagiri
• VIPs will have to keep off flagpost pillar base
• Blasts case counsel sore over salary delay
• Opposition calls for united fight against AIADMK regime
• Charges framed against Nedumaran
• Defamation complaint against The Hindu
• Orders reserved on plea against ordinance
• Scope for higher education in Singapore

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu