Joyngeswar Das v. The State of Assam and 4 Ors

ORDER

05.02.2024

Heard Mr. S.I. Akand, learned counsel for the petitioner; Ms. N. Bordoloi, learned Standing Counsel, Revenue & Disaster Management Department for the respondent no. 1; Mr. A. Chaliha, learned Standing Counsel, Finance Department for the respondent no. 2; and Mr. J. Handique, learned Junior Government Advocate, Assam for the respondent nos. 3 – 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 he is the Next-of-Kin [NoK]/son of a deceased person viz. Late Bhola Das @ Bholaram Das. It is claimed that Late Bhola Das @ Bholaram Das died in a road traffic accident occurred at a public place.

¶3The petitioner has claimed to be the son of the said deceased person, Late Bhola Das @ Bholaram Das.

¶4The case projected by the petitioner, in brief, is that on 22.11.2017, the father of the petitioner, Bhola Das @ Bholaram Das was proceeding from Bhakat Gaon towards Mikirpatty by riding a bicycle and at that time, the alleged offending vehicle bearing Registration no. AS-05/F-4964, proceeding from the same direction in a rash and negligent manner, collided with the bicycle rode by Bhola Das @ Bholaram Das. As a result of the said accident, Bhola Das @ Page No.# 3/6 Bholaram Das sustained grievous injuries on his person. Though he was immediately taken to Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital, Golaghat for treatment, he succumbed to his injuries on

22.11.2017 itself. The Post-Mortem Examination [PME] on the dead body of the deceased was performed at the Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital, Golaghat on 22.11.2017. As per the PME Report, the death was due to coma as a result of head injury sustained by the deceased. In connection with the said accident, a case being Merapani Police Station Case no. 228/2017 has been registered under Sections 279/304A, Indian Penal Code [IPC] on

22.11.2017.

4.1. On an application being made, the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Golaghat district has issued a Next of Kin [NoK] Certificate on 26.09.2022, recording that the petitioner is his Next of Kin [NoK]. The office of the Registrar of Birth & Death, Merapani CHC has issued a Death Certificate on 10.05.2019 recording the death of Late Bhola Das @ Bholaram Das on

22.11.2017. It is stated, after the death of his father, the petitioner submitted a Representation dated 19.02.2022 before the Deputy Commissioner, Golaghat seeking the ex gratia amount of ₹ 2,00,000/- for the deceased person in terms of the policy framed by the State 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, Golaghat, the petitioner has approached this Court by this writ petition.

¶5It has, thus, been contended on behalf of the petitioner that he is the Next-of-Kin [NoK] of the deceased person who died in a road traffic accident occurred on 22.11.2017 at a public place. It is further contended that as such Next-of-Kin [NoK] of the deceased person killed in such accident, he is entitled to receive the quantum of relief in terms of the policy formulated by the State Government, which has been notified by the Notification dated

15.11.2014.

¶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 Page No.# 4/6 ₹ 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 has 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 27.03.2023, the respondents were put to notice. But till date, no response has been filed by any of the respondents.

¶8Both Ms. Bordoloi and Mr. Handique are not in disagreement to the fact that in this writ petition, the petitioner has claimed that the alleged road traffic accident had occurred subsequent to 15.11.2014. It is submitted by Ms. Bordoloi and Mr. Handique, 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.

¶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

Page No.# 5/6 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 disposed of as the claim for relief in the form of ex gratia to the petitioner, as sought for in this writ petition as one of the Next-of-Kin [NoK] 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, Golaghat along with a copy of the writ petition with the annexures, from the petitioner. The petitioner and/or the other Next of Kins [NoKs] of the deceased person, if any, is/are directed to extend his/their assistance and cooperation during the process of such verification and shall furnish the relevant information/ documents, available at his/their disposal, to facilitate the process of verification, as and when asked for. Page No.# 6/6

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

JUDGE Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/6 GAHC010218772022 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/7027/2022o JOYNGESWARoDASo S/O-oLT.oBHOLAoDASo@oBHOLARAMoDAS,oR/O-oVILL-oMERAPANI,oBHAKATo GAON,oP.O.oANDoP.S.oMERAPANI,oDIST.-oGOLAGHAT,oASSAM,oPIN-o785705 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.oCOMMISSIONERoOFoGOLAGHAT oASSAM oP.O.oANDoP.S.oGOLAGHAT oPIN-o785621 4:THEoCIRCLEoOFFICER oGOLAGHAToREVENUEoCIRCLE oP.O.oGOLAGHAT oDIST.-oGOLAGHAT oASSAM oPIN-o785621 5:THEoOFFICER-IN-CHARGE oMERAPANIoP.S. oP.O.oMERAPANI oDIST.-oGOLAGHAT Page No.# 2/6 ASSAM PIN- 78560 Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. R Deka Advocate for the Respondent : SC, REVENUE BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE MANISH CHOUDHURY