North East Delhi violence: HC notice to Centre, AAP govt on plea by victim seeking compensation

New Delhi [India], April 6 : The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Centre, Delhi government and others on a petition filed by one of the victims of the North East Delhi violence seeking compensation worth Rs 5 lakhs.
A Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh on Monday also sought a response from Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the North-East district on the petition filed by Sayeed Ahmed Khan and tagged the matter for further hearing with the other connected batch of petitions with similar prayers on April 26.
According to the plea, the petitioner was running a sewing repairing shop on rent in Karawal Nagar and his shop was burnt, destroyed and looted in the Delhi violence.
Sayeed Ahmed Khan claimed he has not received any compensation from authorities until now and said his entire livelihood was destroyed.
The petition, filed through Advocates Kawalpreet Kaur, Haider Ali and Hetvi Patel, seeks interim and permanent compensation as per the 'Delhi Government's Assistance Scheme for the Help of Delhi Riot Victims'.
As per the scheme, the petitioner sought Rs 5 lakhs in total for the damages sustained to his commercial unit and the looting.
"....Through compensation, the government tries to rectify its mistakes and makes an honest effort to put the victims of violence back to their previous positions, as they would have been before the violence. Thus, the compensation must be holistic and aware of the reality of the victims and their families in the present times. The respondent authorities instead of being sensitive towards the need and rehabilitation of the petitioner appear to be perpetuating more grief and distress among them..." the plea read.
The petitioner sought a total compensation of Rs 5 lakhs as his rented shop was destroyed, burnt and looted during the incident of violence at Shiv Vihar on February 24 last year.
"As per the Delhi Government's Assistance Scheme for the Help of Delhi Riot Victims formulated by the Delhi Government, the Petitioner qualifies for Rs 5 lakhs as permanent compensation and Rs 50,000 as interim compensation. The scheme mandates Rs 5 lakh in total to be given for uninsured commercial units," the plea said.
According to the plea, on February 25 last year, petitioner Khan received a call from his friend, Arvind, who lives opposite to his shop, informed him that his shop at Shiv Vihar was burnt and looted by a mob at Shiv Vihar.
"Khan was also asked by his friend not to come to Shiv Vihar as the area at that time was dangerous for the Muslim community," the plea said while adding that the houses and shops of Muslims at Shiv Vihar were being targeted by the mobs who were openly violating the law and order.
"In view of the delay on part of Respondents in payment of compensation, direct them to pay such additional compensation as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and appropriate towards compensation for the loss suffered by the Petitioner," the plea prayed.
The petitioner has also sought the court's direction to the Delhi government to modify the present government's assistance scheme for violence victims and to take into consideration the looting, theft and vandalism of residential and commercial places during the violence.