By IANS,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday issued notices to the central government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Commonwealth organising committee and the Delhi government for leaving a deep pit uncovered as a result of which a senior citizen lost his life.
The court was hearing the petition filed by Criminal Justice Society highlighting the case of 78-year-old Trilok Nath Makan who died in August last year after falling into an eight-foot-deep pit outside his south delhi home.
Makan, who retired as additional private secretary to former prime minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee, lived in B block of Shivalik road in Malviya Nagar.
“He had stepped out to buy groceries from shops near his house at 8.15 p.m. Friday. The pit on the divider, where work was underway to install new street lights, was a death trap sans warning signs or barricade. To make matters worse, the area was dark because the power had been turned off while the street lights were being installed,” the petition reads.
Demanding an inquiry report from the MCD, the petitioners have also sought compensation of Rs.1 crore and Rs.10 crore as punitive damages.
“There are death traps in the shape of open manholes and pits all over the city but there seems to be no outrage over this and the officials responsible face no action,” the petitioner argued before the court.
The court has asked the governments and other agencies to file a detailed reply by March 10.