SC seeks details of losses due to Mirchpur stir

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The Supreme Court today askedthe Railways and the Haryana government to assess theirfinancial losses due to the disruption in rail and roadtraffic following a stir against booking of some upper castepeople in the Mirchpur dalit killings case.

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi directedNorthern Railway''s general manager to instruct his seniorofficials to file an affidavit quantifying the loss sufferedby the Railways.

It also asked the Haryana government to evaluate andapprise the court about the loss suffered by the stateexchequer due to the blockade of road traffic from Jind toDelhi during the 11-day stir organised by 12 ''khap''panchayats.

The bench also issued notices to the Centre and thestate government and sought their responses within two weeks.

While seeking details of the financial loss sufferedby the Haryana government, the bench also asked the state andrailway authorities to apprise it of the steps taken by themfor the free flow of rail and road traffic.

Villagers had been protesting the booking of 98members of their community in the case relating to the killingof 70-year-old Tara Chand and his teenaged daughter Suman atMirchpur village in Hisar on April 21 last year..