HC serves notice to Karnataka govt, BMRCL on plea seeking ₹10 cr compensation over Bengaluru Metro pillar case

The Karnataka HC issued notices to the state government and the BMRCL on a petition filed over the metro pillar collapse incident.

Published on: Jul 26, 2023, 11:54:16 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday issued notices to the state government, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and others on a petition filed by a man, who lost his wife and minor child in the Namma Metro pillar collapse incident here earlier this year, seeking compensation.

READ | Cops file FIR over threat to kill Karnataka High Court judges

Petitioner Lohitkumar V Sulakhe filed a writ petition demanding a compensation of ₹10 crore, claiming that the accident had occurred due to the negligence of BMRCL authorities. Petitioner's wife Tejaswini L Sulakhe (26) and his two and a half year old son Vihan, who were travelling on a bike died after the under-construction metro pillar fell on them on January 10, 2023 near Nagavara.

The BMRCL had communicated to Lohitkumar that ₹20 lakh compensation would be provided to the kin of the victims. In his petition, which was heard by Justice Krishna S Dixit, Lohitkumar submitted that “mere compensation of ₹20 lakh amount was not sufficient for the innocent life which was lost due to inaction, inadequate safety measures and carelessness on part of the respondents.”

READ | Karnataka HC to hear petition seeking Siddaramaiah's disqualification, alleging electoral malpractices

Tejaswini, a software engineer, was earning Rs.75,748 per month, it said. The petitioner further said that the compensation “is not adequate, and the same is just a mere compensation to hide the negligence of their part of safety work and the fact that all the respondents present in this case lacked knowledge on safety precautions and how all the respondents were careless and ignorant about the safety measures and due to which two innocent lives were lost.”

Noting that Tejaswini was the breadwinner in the family, which had recently moved into a flat purchased on loan, the petition sought a compensation of ₹10 crore for the victim's family. The court adjourned the case after issuing the notices to the respondents to file their objections. The other respondents in the petition include the MD, Chief Engineer and Operation Engineer of BMRCL, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, MD of Nagarjuna Construction Company and its project manager.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Get the latest City News, local updates, weather alerts and breaking stories from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other major cities across India on Hindustan Times.