A day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down Andhra Pradesh Government’s decision of paying compensation to Muslim youth falsely implicated in Mecca Masjid blast case more than six years ago, the State Government was mulling the idea of challenging it in the Supreme Court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyothi Sengupta and Justice KC Bhanu ordered the State Government to stop any further disbursement of the compensation and withdraw the amount already paid from the beneficiaries.
It may be recalled here that acting on the recommendations of the National Minorities Commission, the State Government had issued an order on December 7, 2011 awarding a compensation of `70 lakh to 70 Muslim youth of Hyderabad. While `3 lakh each was paid to 20 youth, another `50 lakh were given to 50 other youth, who were falsely booked in connection with the blast in Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007.
Except four youth, the cheques were disbursed to all the beneficiaries at the hands of the Minister for Minority Welfare Syed Ahmadullah at an official function.
Passing orders on a writ petition filed by an advocate Venkatesh Goud, challenging the payment of compensation, the bench said that the Government’s decision was not justifiable as it had no jurisdiction or authority for payment of such compensation.
Rapping the Government the bench said, instead of helping the poor persons on the street the Government was paying compensation without any basis of law. The Government cannot award compensation merely on the ground of their acquittal or discharge from the case.
The Government should maintain restraint, the
court said.
Reacting to the court order, State Minorities Commission chairman Abid Rasool Khan said that the State may approach the Supreme Court against the High Court
orders. “The State Government had paid compensation to the youth following a direction from the National Commission for Minorities.”
He said that the police had detained or arrested the youth amid widespread allegations of torture and wrongful confinement.
Senior State Congress leader and member of legislative council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who was Minister for Minority Welfare at the time of the mass arrests of Muslims in Hyderabad, forcefully came out against the High Court orders and said that the State Government will go in for appeal in the Supreme Court. “I will talk to the Chief Minister on the issue and urge the Government to challenge it in the Supreme Court,” he said.