The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to file a reply to the plea filed by Mohsin Shaikh’s father seeking compensation after his son was beaten to death in 2014.
A division bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M.S. Karnik was hearing a plea filed in April by Sadiq Shaikh, father of the information technology professional in Pune.
Advocate Afreen Khan, appearing for the father, said compensation has been sought under the Central Victim Compensation Fund scheme for victims of criminal violence.
When the incident took place, the State government had provided him ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh as compensation but that is separate from the Central scheme, which he is entitled to.
The petition said, Shaikh died in June 2014, and the compensation was supposed to come after three weeks. A district-level committee had even identified the person to be paid. Now, though, ₹5 lakh is a small amount for the father, who is old, it said. “₹5 lakh is too less an amount to be delayed for four years,” it said.
Through a Government Resolution, the State Revenue Department had announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh from the State fund and a matching amount from the Central fund. The GR directed authorities at the Pune Collectorate to hand over the ₹10 lakh to Shaikh’s family.
Shaikh (28), was beaten to death allegedly by activists of the Hindu Rashtra Sena on the night of June 2, 2014, in Hadapsar, Pune. The court has directed the State to file its reply and will hear the matter on November 29.
