Delhi Riots: Delhi High Court Issues Notice To Delhi Govt In Plea Seeking Compensation For Victims

While issuing notice, the Single Bench of Justice Navin Chawla has also directed the Delhi Government to file a counter-affidavit within four weeks.

Filed by Md Shahabaj and other victims of the riots, the petition seeks compensation for those who came under the attack from the mobs, with their houses burnt and having lost everything.

It is argued that these victims immediately require interim and full compensation but the amount specified by the Delhi Government in its compensation scheme is inadequate to provide relief.

Seeking financial assistance for such victims, the petition states that:

'The Petitioners, fearing that they would also meet the same fate and be set on fire by the ruthless mob outside their house, deserted their house and ran away. They left everything behind in their house and could not muster the courage to even collect their important documents. All their energy went in-to save and rescue themselves from the hands of the bloodthirsty mob, which was repeatedly calling for the blood of Muslims.'

The Petitioners have argued that they had no control over the circumstances they were suddenly subjected to, which was a result of the complete breakdown of the rule of law.

It is further submitted by the Petitioners that the breaking out of the riots and then the continuous denial of the compensation shows the hostile attitude of the system towards the victims of communal violence and massacres.

'Not only the system failed to protect their lives and properties during the communal violence but also after that, the respondent authorities kept on dragging their feet and perpetuated the helplessness and distress among the victims', the Petitioners have claimed.

The basis of the petition is the specific targeting of the Petitioners on the basis of their religious identity. As per the petition, they are subjected to arson, and destruction of life and property, by the 'mob hounding for Muslim blood'.

Therefore, the Petitioners seek a compensation policy which takes into account the mental, emotional, physical and other distress that they had to go though and are still going through.

The Petitioners have also criticised the compensation policy of the Delhi Government for the reason of its sheer inadequacy to provide relief to the victims. They've argued that:

'Delhi Government's Assistance scheme for the victims of communal violence is arbitrary and discriminatory. The amount of compensation is too little and inadequate when assessed on the basis of the financial losses and trauma suffered by the victims of the communal violence.'

The court will next take up this matter on February 15.

The Petitioners in this case are being represented by Advocate Kawalpreet Kaur.