Work hit in HC, UP to pay Rs 3 lakh to deceased lawyer’s kin

ALLAHABAD: Functioning of the Allahabad High Court on Friday remained by and large paralysed even as the court approved an interim relief of Rs one lakh and an additional sum of Rs two lakh by the Uttar Pradesh government to the wife of advocate Shrikant Awasthi, who had died in custody on Tuesday.The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice H L Gokhle and Justice Vineet Saran and also directed the district judge, allahabad, who has been entrusted with the task of conducting an inquiry into Awasthi’s death, to submit his report by June 10. The court is likely to take up the matter for further hearing on July 25.The court was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Rajesh Rai drawing the court’s attention towards the custodial death of Awasthi, who died in a hospital while serving a one-month sentence in a contempt case.Rai had pleaded that Awasthi’s family be paid an interim relief of Rs one lakh for his last rites and an additional sum of Rs two lakh in fixed deposit to meet their expenses. The court noted that the Advocate General Jyotindra Mishra had agreed to both these suggestions from the petitioner.Accordingly, Rs one lakh will be paid by may 23 and arrangement for fixed deposit will be carried out by June. The court also noted that the advocate general had stated that a suggestion for employment to the widow of the deceased advocate would be considered.
Saturday May 17 2008 05:38 IST
PTI
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