Is it right move to reduce Uphaar compensation?

GN Bureau | October 13, 2011



The supreme court on Thursday reduced the compensation payable to the family of those killed in the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy of 1997. In 2003, the Delhi high court found the cinema owners and civic authoirities guilty of negligence, and awarded Rs 25 crore civil compensation to the relatives of victims, which included Rs 15 lakh each to the relatives of the victims, less than 20 years at the time of the tragedy and a sum of Rs 18 lakh each to those, above 20 years. The apex court has reduced the figures to Rs 10 lakh (from Rs 18 lakh) and Rs 7.5 lakh (from Rs 15 lakh).

The verdict seems surprising: reducing compensation can send out a wrong signal to public authorities as well as private players when it comes to tightening standards of public safety.

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