An Ahmedabad court has ordered the Gujarat government to pay a compensation of Rs.625,000 to a man who lost both his legs after being fired upon by police in 1990 when he was 13 years old.
Ahmedabad sessions judge D.T. Soni’s order came Wednesday on a civil suit filed by Mohammed Yusuf Mohammed Anwar against the state government seeking compensation for his disability caused by police firing.
The complainant lost his legs in December 1990 when riots broke out after a shutdown when the State Reserve Police opened fire in Dariaapur area. Eight people were injured and property worth Rs.866,000 was destroyed in the riots.
The complainant, who used to work at a bicycle shop, had to spend Rs.7,000 for his operation and treatment. The government made an ex-gratia payment of Rs.5,000 to the victim.
The victim said in his complaint that he had been struggling to live and wanted a ‘just’ compensation because his disability was caused by police high-handedness.
The state government had taken the stand that the complainant was himself part of the mob and was involved in rioting and hence could not be allowed any compensation.
But the judge said it was a clear cut case where police were responsible for Yusuf’s plight and ordered the state to deposit Rs.625,000 with 10 percent interest from the date of filing the suit in the court for compensation to the victim.
