Pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to Kuber crew member's widow: Gujarat HC

The Gujarat High Court has asked the state government to pay by October 25 a compensation of R5 lakh to the widow of a crew member of fishing trawler ‘MV Kuber,' that was hijacked by terrorists who carried out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Justice B N Karia, in his interim order passed on Tuesday, directed the government to pay R5 lakh to Jashiben, whose husband Rameshbhai Bambhania and four other fishermen were killed on MV Kuber in 2008 by Ajmal Kasab and other Pakistani terrorists, who hijacked the trawler in the Arabian Sea and used it to reach Mumbai. The body of MV Kuber's captain, Amarsinh Solanki, was found on the boat, while bodies of four others, including Bambhania, were missing.

The court asked the government to pay the amount from the Chief Minister's Fund if there is no contingency fund to pay the compensation under a central government scheme, as told by the government pleader, and reimburse the fund to the CM Fund whenever it is available.

The court said that it will see whether the directions have been complied with on October 25. The money should be deposited in her bank account, and if she does not have an account, it should be opened, the court said. Jashiben had also demanded that her husband be declared dead as over seven years have passed since the incident.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates