GUWAHATI: Gauhati high court has directed Assam govt to specify in a week the “time by which compensation will be paid” to the six families whose houses were demolished in Nagaon district in 2022. The houses were demolished a day after a mob set Batadrava police station ablaze in protest against the custodial death of a fish vendor, Safiqul Islam, on May 21, 2022.
Assam’s home and political (A) department had submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam that the amount of compensation had been determined and that the matter had been referred to the finance department for payment of compensation.
A one-man inquiry committee led by the chief secretary was constituted by state govt last year to conduct an investigation into the police station arson case and demolition of the houses. The committee submitted its report to the home and political department in Jan 2024. The report was later submitted to the court in a sealed envelope by senior govt advocate D Nath in Feb.
Pursuant to the report, the home and political department wrote to the revenue and disaster management department to assess the loss on account of demolition of the houses of six people. The report remained under consideration of the state govt for a long time.
Sources said the compensation for a demolished pucca house would be Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh for a kuchcha house.
The police had filed a chargesheet against 24 accused in connection with the arson. During the investigation, five houses were demolished by the police and administration stating that they were illegally occupying govt land.
The next hearing has been listed for May 14.
Assam’s home and political (A) department had submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam that the amount of compensation had been determined and that the matter had been referred to the finance department for payment of compensation.
A one-man inquiry committee led by the chief secretary was constituted by state govt last year to conduct an investigation into the police station arson case and demolition of the houses. The committee submitted its report to the home and political department in Jan 2024. The report was later submitted to the court in a sealed envelope by senior govt advocate D Nath in Feb.
Pursuant to the report, the home and political department wrote to the revenue and disaster management department to assess the loss on account of demolition of the houses of six people. The report remained under consideration of the state govt for a long time.
Sources said the compensation for a demolished pucca house would be Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh for a kuchcha house.
The police had filed a chargesheet against 24 accused in connection with the arson. During the investigation, five houses were demolished by the police and administration stating that they were illegally occupying govt land.
The next hearing has been listed for May 14.