Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday
directed the West Bengal government and the AMRI to file
affidavits within five weeks stating their positions on the
payment of compensation to the hospital fire victims.
The high court did not pass any interim order on a prayer
by AMRI hospital, where a major fire had left more than 90
people dead on December 9, to direct the police commissioner
to distribute compensation cheques, given by it, to the
victims.
Justice Jayanta Biswas, while admitting the petition for
hearing, directed the government and AMRI to file affidavits
stating their position within five weeks after which the
matter would be taken up for hearing.
Appearing for petitioner AMRI Hospitals Pvt Ltd, counsel
S Pal prayed for a direction to the city Police Commissioner
to disburse compensation to victims' families or appoint a
special officer in this regard.
The petitioner claimed that it wanted to pay compensation
of Rs five lakh each to the kin of victims through the police
commissioner as it did not have the wherewithal and that it
has already paid the amount to the relatives of two nurses who
had died in the horrific incident.
AMRI Hospitals, seven of whose directors have been
arrested, claimed that it had sent four letters to Kolkata
Police Commissioner R K Pachnanda requesting him to finalise
the number of victims and the amount and disburse the cheques
to the victims' families.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, January 04, 2012, 20:41