Mandi tragedy: Family of students who died to get Rs 5 lakh each

Mangalore Today News Network

Shimla, June 25, 2014: The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ordered that the family of each student who died in the Mandi tragedy would get a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. Of this, Rs 2.5 lakh will be paid by the Larji project while the college will pay the rest.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan announced the order after VNR Vignana Jyothi college and the state government filed a status report in in connection with the case.

The order was passed by the court over a PIL initiated on basis of newspaper reports in a suo moto action.

The court also ordered that the officials of the Larji dam project, who were on duty when the tragedy struck, and college officials who accompanied the students, would be made party to the case. It further asked the state government and the college authorities to submit a fresh status report by July 9.

Meanwhile, the criminal investigation into the case, which has already been initiated, will be monitored by the High Court.