The Uttar Pradesh government has been directed by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High court to submit its policy regarding paying of compensation to the family of the murdered persons in the state.
The court has given two weeks time to the UP government to submit its report.
A division bench of court comprising Justices Uma Nath Singh and Satish Chandra gave this order after hearing the arguments of petitioner’s counsel Asoke Pande and Additional Advocate General Bulbul Godiyal.
The court was hearing the PIL filed by social activist Nutan Thakur as regards different compensation amounts being paid by the UP government in different cases of murder.
In the petition, Dr Thakur had prayed that while Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has paid a compensation of Rs 50 lakh and Rs 20 lakh each in Pratapgarh triple murder incidence, it has not given any compensation in other murder cases, including the political murder of Ram Babu Gupta in Tanda, Ambedkarnagar.
The PIL says that this is against the right to equality enshrined in the Indian constitution and the UP Government does not have a right to differentiate cases of murder without sufficient reasons.
Dr Thakur had prayed to direct the UP Government to frame a definite policy for compensation in murder cases. She also prayed to pay compensation of similar amount in all other murder cases that happened recently.
