J-K High Court orders govt to pay Rs 20 lakh to youth electrocuted in 2007

Srinagar, Aug 06: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the government to pay a compensation of Rs 20-lakh to a youth electrocuted due to an exposed wire in 2007.

The incident left the youth 78% disabled.

On July 22, Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul passed the judgment after noting that no compensation was paid for the incident. He also rejected the objections made by Jammu and Kashmir Power Department of delaying the compensation, Bar and Bench reported.

“There is no quarrel about 78 per cent disability of petitioner due to electric shock, when he had been eight years of age on 9th March 2007 … petitioner has trans-elbow amputation left side with scarring/puckering of over lung skin and percentage of disability is around 78 per cent from orthopedic side … petitioner has scars in B/L thighs and deformity disability amounts to 15 per cent. In such circumstances, petitioner cannot be said that he is not entitled to any compensation as has been tried and stated by respondents,” the court said.

Then seven-years-old, Abrar Ahmad Tantray had filed the petition in 2018 when he was 21-years of age. He sought compensation for the electrocution he suffered as an 8-year-old boy due to an uncovered electric transformer.

He also sought that he be sympathetically considered by the government for a suitable job as per his qualifications, so that he may not feel dependent and handicapped for life.

Abrar, a boy from south Kashmir's Kulgam was playing with other children outside his home when he received the electric shock from a snapped 11-KV live wire at Kujjar area of Kulgam.

The electrocution resulted in severe burn injuries on the left side of his body and a part of his arm had to be amputated as well.

The state opposed his 2018 plea for compensation on the ground that it was filed after a nine-year delay, although the authorities admitted that the electrocution incident took place.

The court was also informed that after the incident, Abrar’s case was recommended for the grant of relief and rehabilitation on humanitarian grounds and that a letter was forwarded to the Development Commissioner, Power in October 2007.

The Court, however, found that no compensation had been paid. Therefore, it ordered the authorities to pay  rupees 20 lakh as compensation to the petitioner, along with an interest of 6 per cent per annum from the date of presentation of the petition (2018) till it is paid.

Advocate Areeb Kanth appeared for the petitioner. Additional Advocate General Alla ud Din Ganai and advocate Shaila Shameem represented the respondent-authorities.