A victim of the Kalluvathukkal hooch tragedy on Friday moved the Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court for the compensation awarded for those who had lost eyesight in the incident.
The petition was moved by S. Sasidharan, 65, residing at Pallipuram in Thiruvananthapuram.
On July 16, 2002, the then Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Chandradas Nadar, while delivering the verdict in the case, had ordered that six persons who had lost eyesight in the tragedy be given a compensation of Rs.1 lakh each.
The amount should be realised from the fines imposed on those convicted. The judge also gave the verdict that those who failed to pay the fine should undergo an additional prison term.
Fine not paid
Only two of the 30 convicted by the trial court had paid the fine. A fine of Rs.6 lakh each had been paid by the 25th accused Suresh Kumar and the 30th accused Manoharan two years ago.
The trial court verdict on compensation had been ratified by the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court. It is expected that Mr. Sasidharan will be given the compensation in a few days.
Dependant
Mr. Sasidharan, who worked as a cane craftsman, was prosecution witness 187 in the case.
After the tragedy, he was bedridden and was brought in a stretcher to testify in the court.
He said he was dependent on his married daughter for sustenance as he was unable to go for work.
Though he had five cents of land, 3.5 cents was sold after the hooch tragedy to meet the wedding expenses of his daughter. He now lived in a shanty within the remaining 1.5 cents. His wife had died of cancer.
Though three of the accused had lost eyesight in the tragedy, the court excluded them from the compensation package.
The kin of those killed in the tragedy are also eligible for Rs.1 lakh each from the fine amount to be realised from the convicted.
Representatives of 30 persons who lost their lives in the tragedy are eligible for the compensation but the fine amount required for the purpose had not been realised so far.
