A 22-year-old man who lost his right hand during the communal riots that broke out in February was presented before the Delhi Assembly Minorities Welfare Committee as his case was initially put under the “minor injuries” section while his is a case of permanent disability.
The compensation due to the victim identified as Akram Khan, resident of Chand Bagh, is ₹5 lakh, but he was only paid ₹20,000 while at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where he was being treated in February. Mr. Akram claimed that a bomb was thrown in his direction on February 24 and the severe injuries he sustained led to his hand being amputated.
Committee chairman Amanatullah Khan said that Mr. Akram’s case was presented before the panel. “His first medico-legal certificate (MLC) stated that he had suffered minor injuries. Later, it was changed to major injuries but he has suffered a permanent disability due to which he is entitled to ₹5 lakh,” he said. Government representatives present during the Wednesday meeting said that the matter will be looked into, Mr. Khan said.
“Three-four operations took place at GTB Hospital but my treatment there was cut short because it was made a COVID-19 facility. Three months after the incident and treatment at GTB, I shifted to St. Stephen’s Hospital where another operation took place. One more operation is left but doctors are yet to finalise the date. Money is a concern because I have lost my job and now I am fully dependent on my family,” said Mr. Akram, who has his elder brother by his side for physical assistance to perform basic tasks.
Four other cases
During the meeting, four more similar cases were flagged where the MLCs wrongly stated that the victims had suffered minor injuries while the injuries were actually grave, resulting in inadequate compensation.
The committee also sought response on six contentious videos that had surfaced during the riots, including one of a woman, Ragini Tiwari, who allegedly made provocative statements during a Facebook Live session on February 23. The government representative is said to have assured that the action taken report will be submitted in the next committee meeting.
