Kasaragod, August 27: Abdul Salam, one of the family members of the Mangalore air crash victims, on whose petition the single judge bench of the Kerala High Court had directed the awarding of Rs. 75 lakh compensation, has described as “a matter of great concern” the division bench's move of striking down the earlier order.
Abdul Salam, whose son Mohammed Rafi died in the crash, one of the worst air disasters the country witnessed in recent years, said he felt deeply hurt when the Air India decided to file a writ against the verdict of the single judge.
“The approach of the Air India with regard to the kin of the victims is improper. AI counsel Nanavati had sought the details and documents of my slain son. However, all the documents had been lost in the air disaster. However, we had provided them some documents after securing them from his employers in the Gulf. But every time we visited the AI lawyers, we had to listen to some negative talk,” he said.
Meanwhile, pall of gloom descended across the district after High Court set aside a single judge's order directing Air India to pay a minimum compensation of Rs.75 lakh each to the dependant families of 158 air passengers who lost their lives in the Mangalore air crash on May 22, 2010.
“The High Court verdict was very painful and shocking, and we are determined to approach the Supreme Court,” N.A. Sulaiman, coordinator of the Mangalore Air Crash Victims Family Association, said.
He said the association was forced to take legal recourse only after the authorities began to discriminate between the victims' families on the issue of disbursing deserving compensation as per the Montreal Convention, to which India was a signatory.
As many as 100 victims hailed from economically weaker sections, and the Centre should urgently intervene to settle the issue amicably on humanitarian grounds, Mr. Sulaiman said.
As many as 58 victims hailed from Kasaragod and Kannur districts of Kerala, Mr. Sulaiman said.
Plea to Ravi
Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi owed an explanation to the people of the State on why Air India took initiative in dragging the settlement of compensation to the victims' close family.
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