New Delhi : The Supreme Court has criticized the Uttarakhand government for failing to provide compensation to the widow of a doctor who was killed on duty in 2016. Despite announcing ₹50 lakh compensation at the time, the state has not paid the amount even after nine years of legal battles.
Court Orders ₹1 Crore Compensation
A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Aravind Kumar directed the Uttarakhand government to pay ₹1 crore to the family, including accrued interest.
The state had earlier challenged the Uttarakhand High Court’s 2018 order, which directed a ₹1.99 crore payout with 7.5% annual interest and additional pension benefits under the State Medicare Service Persons and Institutions Act, 2013.
Compensation Accrued Due to Delay
Despite approval from the Chief Secretary and Chief Minister, the amount was never disbursed.
The petitioner claimed only ₹1 lakh had been given as an ex gratia amount.
The Supreme Court ruled that with nine years of accrued interest, the total compensation reached ₹1 crore.
Since the government had already paid ₹11 lakh, the final amount was set at ₹89 lakh.
Background of the Case
The doctor was shot dead on April 20, 2016, while on duty at the Jaspur Community Health Centre. The family stated that had the ₹50 lakh been paid in 2016, they wouldn’t have suffered years of legal battles.
