The Delhi Development Authority on Thursday agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the man whose wife and three-year-old son died after slipping into an uncovered drain in East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar in heavy rain on July 31.
The award of the compensation comes after the Delhi High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on August 22 had demanded accountability of officers as well as appropriate compensation for the kin of the deceased.
The DDA had claimed that the mother-son duo had fallen into the drain that comes under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and that the bodies had only floated into the area under DDA’s purview. However, the police probe revealed that the open drain was in the jurisdiction of DDA.
While the DDA initially proposed to pay Rs 15 lakh, the amount was subsequently hiked to 20 lakh upon the insistence of the bench and the petitioner.
The police submitted that it is likely to file a chargesheet soon, once the requisite sanctions are received.
The bench disposed of the petition following the submission from the DDA.
The MCD additionally informed the court that it is making the best efforts to complete the work of the redevelopment of drains at the accident site by December although the scheduled deadline is April next year. The MCD also added that the area has been barricaded.
The mother-son duo drowned in the drain while they were returning home amid heavy rain.
The boy, Priyansh, slipped into the uncovered drain as it was not visible due to the surrounding area being completely waterlogged. His mother Tanuja fell inside while trying to rescue the boy.
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