Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered an eight-week interim stay on West Bengal government's decision to pay compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to families of the 172 hooch victims in South 24-Parganas district.
A division bench of Chief Justice JN Patel and Justice Sambuddha Chakraborti ordered the interim stay on two PILs filed recently challenging the government's move.
The state government had decided to pay Rs 2 lakh as compensation each to the families of 172 people who died after consuming spurious country liquor at Sangrampur in the Mograhat police station area on December 14.
The court also directed the DIG, CID, to submit its report of investigation into the hooch tragedy to the court.
The state's excise department secretary was asked to submit reports to the court within four weeks giving details about the rules for combating illegal hooch trade in the state and also state what action had been taken against the people responsible for the tragedy.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 06, 2012, 20:20