Delhi HC issues direction for investigation into ‘plight of victims’ of 2011 bomb blast

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday directed an officer of the court to look into the “plight of the victims” of the 2011 bomb blast on its premises, which reportedly killed 17 victims and injured 76.

The direction was issued by the court in the backdrop of an appeal filed by the surviving wife of one of the victims, Sangita Ashok.

The mother of three, who lost her husband Ashok Kumar Sharma, approached the court with the appeal that after the loss she suffered in the blasts, the family had been left shattered, and she and her son were unable to fill the requisite Delhi University (DU) admission form for her son correctly. The son could, therefore, not secure admission in the university at all.

She argued before the court in person, in the absence of her lawyer, Manish Bhardwaj, and stated that she had already approached the dean, student welfare in August this year, with a request for the opening of the portal for admissions to be allowed to make changes in the son’s form, however, the request had been ignored by the university.

She also stated that her husband’s pension case was still pending in the court despite six years having passed by since his demise in the blast. The aggrieved wife went on to mention that a marble plate which had been installed in the memory of the victims of the blast, outside the court, had also been broken and was now lying in shambles outside.

Taking serious notice of the matter, acting chief justice Gita Mittal appointed a new lawyer, Jyoti Singh, to fight Sangita Ashok’s husband’s pension case, but also directed that an officer of the court must look into the plight and condition of the other victims of the blast. A direction has been issued to DU standing counsel Mohinder J.S. Rupal, to look into the admission matter of Sangita’s son.

Further, the court has directed the registrar-general that a fresh marble plate in the memory of the victims, be duly installed outside the court.

The case relates to the 2011 bombing which took place in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, 7 September 2011 at 10:14am local time outside Gate No. 5 of the Delhi high court, where a suspected briefcase bomb was planted. The blast killed 17 people and injured 76.