New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it has enhanced the compensation for the kin of 65 people killed in the Muzaffarnagar riots in September 2013 by Rs.3 lakh each.
A bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi was informed by the Uttar Pradesh government that each of the families of those killed would now get Rs.15 lakh.
Of this, Rs.13 lakh will be given by the state government and Rs.2 lakh by the centre.
The Uttar Pradesh government informed this to the court in response to Wednesday’s query as to why there was difference in the compensation to the families of those killed in the riots.
The court sought clarification as it was told that while the family of a news channel correspondent was paid Rs.15 lakh as compensation, the families of others were paid Rs.10 lakh each.
The Uttar Pradesh government also informed the court that it has decided to give compensation of Rs.2 lakh to mothers whose children below the age of five died in relief camps.
Rejecting the submission by the Uttar Pradesh government that it could not nab those accused of rape because police movement was resisted by villagers, the court said: “If this was allowed to happen, then police would not be able to arrest anyone.”
However, finding itself pushed to wall, the state government assured the court that police would arrest all the accused.
The apex court was hearing a batch of petitions, including by Mohammed Haroon, Supreme Court Bar Association, Meerut district-based Jat Mahasabha, NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and relief and rehabilitation of all the riot victims. The Uttar Pradesh government too moved the court.