Chhattisgarh HC issues contempt notice to Home Secy

Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, Mar 27 (UNI) The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued a contempt notice to state Home Secretary R K Dhan in connection with the death in custody of a tribal youth at Sohela in Raipur district.

Chief Justice H L Dattu issued the notice yesterday after hearing a contempt plea filed by Advocate Meena Shastri.

The petition said that the orders regarding the case -- delivered by the court on July 20, 2006 -- were not fully implemented by the government.

The Sohela incident was highlighted by media and rights groups in 2004 when the youth, booked for stealing 25 l diesel, was allegedly beaten to death in a police station.

After hearing a public interest litigation filed by Ms Shastri, the court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe and ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh besides other benefits to be provided within a month.

The government reply, submitted in October 2006, maintained that it doled out ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh as an interim amount since it was considering to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling.

UNI