Sufia Khatun @ Sufia Begum v. The State of Assam and 4 Ors

ORDER Date : 21-04-2023 Heard Mr. R. Deka, learned counsel for the petitioner; Mr. A. Bhattacharjee, learned Standing Counsel, Revenue and Disaster Management Department for the respondent no. 1; Ms. R.M. Baruah, learned counsel appearing on behalf of Mr. A. Chaliha, learned Standing Counsel, Finance Department for the respondent no. 2; and Mr. N. Goswami, learned Junior Government Advocate, Assam for the respondent nos. 3, 4 & 5.

¶2The petitioner has instituted this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking inter-alia a direction to the State respondent authorities to disburse an amount of ₹ 2,00,000/- in terms of a Notification dated 15.11.2014 of the Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Government of Assam claiming that she is the Next of Kin [NoK] of the deceased person viz. Late Safiqul Islam @ Safikul. It is claimed that Late Safiqul Islam @ Safikul died in a road traffic accident occurred at a public place.

¶3The petitioner has claimed to be the mother of the said deceased person, Late Safiqul Islam @ Safikul. Page No.# 3/7

¶4The case projected by the petitioner, in brief, is that the son of the petitioner, Safiqul Islam @ Safikul, was proceeding as a pillion rider in a motor-cycle bearing registration no. AS-15/G-4241 from Kayakuchi to Bhabanipur. When the motor-cycle reached a place near Adarsha Jatiya Bidyalaya, it hit a signboard standing at a police check gate on the road and as a result of the accident, the petitioner's son had sustained grievous injuries on his head and met instantaneous death at the spot. The Post-Mortem Examination on the dead body of the victim was performed at Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College & Hospital, Barpeta on 27.02.2019. As per the Post-Mortem Examination Report, the death was due to coma as a result of the head injuries, described therein. It was opined that all the injuries were ante mortem in nature and were caused by blunt force impact. In connection with the said accident, a case being Barpeta Police Station Case no. 458/2019, has been registered under Section 279/304A, Indian Penal Code on 05.03.2019 on the basis of a General Diary Entry no. 71 dated 05.03.2019 recorded at Kayakuchi Police Outpost.

¶5The office of the Registrar, Birth & Death, Sarupeta M.P.H.C., District – Barpeta has issued a death certificate on 05.03.2019 recording the factum of death of Safiqul Islam @ Safikul on 26.02.2019. After the death of her son, the petitioner stated to have submitted a Representation before the Deputy Commissioner, Barpeta seeking the ex gratia amount of ₹ 2,00,000/- for the deceased person in terms of the policy framed by the Government in the Revenue & Disaster Management Department and as notified by the notification dated 15.11.2014. When no response was received from the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Barpeta, the petitioner has approached this Court by this Page No.# 4/7 writ petition.

¶6On perusal of the said Notification dated 15.11.2014, it is noticed that the same has, inter-alia, made a provision for ex gratia grant to the Next of Kin [NoK] of person killed due to accident in public place or in public carrier [other than killed by extremist/terrorist, miscreants and due to firing of security forces] and such relief has been quantified at ₹ 2,00,000/- for each deceased person in respect of accident which had occurred in the State on or after the date of the Notification i.e. 15.11.2014. It is noticed that by the Notification dated

15.10.2014, the State Government had revised the quantum of relief in the form of ex gratia in supersession of the previous Notification in that regard. It has been brought to the notice of the Court that due to certain ambiguity with regard to the term, 'public place', another Notification bearing no. R.R.94/2003/288 dated 15.10.2014 came to be issued by the Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Government of Assam for removal of the ambiguity. As per the Notification dated 15.10.2014 [supra], the word 'public place' will mean any street, alley, park, public building, any place of business or assembly open to or frequented by the public or any other place, which is open to the public view or to which public has access.

¶7By order dated 20.10.2020, the respondents were put to notice. But till date, no response has been filed by any of the respondents.

¶8Both Mr. Bhattacharjee and Mr. Goswami are not in disagreement to the fact that in this writ petition, the petitioner has claimed that the alleged road traffic accident in question had occurred subsequent to 15.11.2014. It is submitted by Page No.# 5/7 Mr. Bhattacharjee and Mr. Goswami, in unison, that before placing the matter before the Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner shall have to examine the matter in order to verify the veracity of the claim of the petitioner, with regard to, firstly, the alleged road traffic accident which stated to have occurred at a public place resulting in the death of the person, mentioned above; secondly, the claim of the petitioner as one of the Next of Kins [NoKs] of the person who stated to have died as a result of the said alleged road traffic accident, and thirdly, the claim regarding occurrence of the accident at a public place. Mr. Bhattacharjee and Mr. Goswami has submitted that the petitioner has not annexed a copy of the Next of Kin [NoK] certificate from the competent authority i.e. the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner.

¶9This Court has already recognized the rationale behind the policy formulated by the State and notified vide the Notification dated 15.11.2014, in its order dated 04.05.2019 passed in the writ petition, W.P.[C] no. 2100/2019 [Gunalata Das vs. the State of Assam] and similar other writ petitions, by observing that the dominant purpose of the policy is to provide some succour immediately to the Next of Kin [NoK] of the deceased to tide over the initial shock and hardship before lodging claim for just compensation under the law. Thus, a claim for the relief of ex gratia grant under the policy calls for an expeditious consideration.

¶10Taking an overall view of the submissions advanced by the learned counsel for the parties and the rationale behind the policy so formulated, this Court is of the considered view that instead of keeping the writ petition pending for any further period, waiting for responses from the respondents, the same can be Page No.# 6/7 disposed of as the claim for relief in the form of ex gratia to the petitioner in this writ petition as sole Next of Kin or/one of the Next of Kins [NoKs] of the person killed in a road traffic accident, the facts of which are briefly narrated above, is to be verified and considered first at the end of the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner. After such verification and consideration of all relevant aspects including the three aspects, as highlighted by the learned counsel for the State respondents, by calling for reports from the other concerned authorities, wherever necessary, the proposal can thereafter, be forwarded by the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner along with his report, to the Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue & Disaster Management Department for release of ex gratia amount in terms of the Notification dated

15.11.2014, if the petitioner is found entitled to receive the same. The Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue & Disaster Management Department can thereafter, sanction the quantum of relief for disbursal to the petitioner and/or any other Next of Kins [NoKs] found entitled, in terms of the Notification dated 15.11.2014. It is accordingly ordered. The entire exercise in respect of the case involved in this writ petition should be completed by the above respondent authorities within a period of 3 [three] months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order by the office of Deputy Commissioner, Barpeta along with a copy of the writ petition with the annexures, from the petitioner. The petitioner is directed to submit a copy of the Next of Kin [NoK] certificate along with a certified copy of this order, as directed above. The petitioner and/or the other Next of Kins [NoKs] of the deceased person, if any, is/are directed to extend her/their assistance and cooperation during the process of such verification and shall furnish the relevant information/documents, available at her/their disposal, to facilitate the process Page No.# 7/7 of verification, as and when asked for.

¶11With the observations made and directions given above, the writ petition stands disposed of. No cost.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/7 GAHC010120232020 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/4342/2020o SUFIAoKHATUNo@oSUFIAoBEGUMo W/O-oMAHAMMADoALI,oR/O-oBHOWKAMARI,oP.O.oKAYAKUCHI,oP.S.oANDo DIST.-oBARPETA,oASSAM,oPIN-o871352 VERSUSo THEoSTATEoOFoASSAMoANDo4oORS.o REP.oBYoTHEoCOMM.oANDoSECY.oTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM,oREVENUEo (RELIEFoANDoREHABILITATION)oANDoDISASTERoMANAGEMENToDEPTT.,o DISPUR,oGHY-06 2:THEoCOMM.oANDoSECY.oTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oFINANCEoDEPTT. oDISPUR oGHY-06 3:THEoDY.oCOMMISSIONER oBARPETA oASSAM oP.O.oANDoP.S.oBARPETA oPIN-o781301 4:THEoCIRCLEoOFFICER oBARPETAoREVENUEoCIRCLE oP.O.oANDoP.S.oBARPETA oDIST.-oBARPETA oASSAM oPIN-o781301 5:THEoOFFICER-IN-CHARGE oBARPETAoP.S. oDIST.-oBARPETA Page No.# 2/7 ASSAM PIN- 78130 Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. R Deka Advocate for the Respondent : GA, ASSAM BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE MANISH CHOUDHURY