More than one-and-a-half years after it paid compensation to the Muslim youth falsely implicated in Mecca Masjid bomb blast case; Andhra Pradesh Government was issued a notice by the High Court seeking an explanation for the act.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice G Rohini, acting on a public interest litigation filed by one Venkatesh Goud has asked the Government to file an affidavit explaining the basis for paying compensation to 70 youth.
The PIl had questioned the memo issued by the State Government in December 11 to pay a compensation of `70 lakh to the youth who were falsely implicated in Mecca Masjid blast case by the State police.
The court asked the Government to explain under which law the compensation was paid and if there was any court to give compensation. The State Government has two weeks’ time to file its affidavit.
It may be recalled that more than 100 Muslim youth were detained by Hyderabad police following the bomb blast in Mecca Masjid on May 18, 2007. While most of them were let off, a case of criminal conspiracy was booked against 26 of them. However the court acquitted them later.
The youth alleged that by levelling false charges of terrorism against them and unleashing propaganda through media, the police had tarnished their image making their economic and social rehabilitation difficult. Many of them also alleged third degree torture by the police.
As subsequent investigation by the CBI revealed the involvement of some right wing Hindu elements and organisations in the blast in Mecca Masjid and it was established that innocent youth were wrongly framed by the local police. the National Commission for Minorities recommended that the State Government should pay a suitable compensation to the affected youth.
The Commission wanted this money to be recovered from the guilty police men and officials and a good character certificate to be issued to all the acquitted youth.
While the State Government paid a compensation of Rs 70 lakh to 70 youth, the money came not from the guilty police men but from the minorities welfare budget. While a compensation of 20,000 was paid to 50 youth, Rs 3 lakh each was sanctioned for 20 youth who were in jail for a long time. However some of them were yet to get the compensation.