The division bench of justices Arun Kumar and Manmohan Sarin issued show cause notices to file their replies to the claims by July 20 when the case comes up for hearing next.

The petition was filed by the All India Lawyers Union (AILU), seeking the court's intervention against the government inaction in awarding adequate compensation to the air crash victims.

An AN-32 aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force had crashed on March 7 at Pappankalan near Delhi's international airport, in which 22 persons including three civilians were killed and seven others were injured. The civilians casualties were of those who were residing in the area. They were either killed or injured and their properties were badly damaged. The counsel for AILU has demanded suitable compensation for the civilian victims, drawing the court's attention to the fact that IAF victims were entitled to a compensation ranging from Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh. The Delhi government also figures in the list of respondents who were issued notices by the court.

Tandoor murder: Defence, prosecutors pulled up
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) G.P. Thareja on Tuesday lashed out at the prosecution and defence in the sensational Naina Sahni murder case for failing to produce four witnesses, and the slow progress of the case over the past four years. Thareja also expressed his displeasure when accused Sushil Sharma's bail application was moved by amicus curie K.K. Sud. Sharma, a former Delhi Youth Congress president, has been charged with killing his wife Naina and burning her body in a restaurant tandoor with the help of his associates in July 1995.

``Due assistance as has been expected by the court has neither been provided by the special public prosecutor nor by the amicus curie as friend of the court,'' Thareja said when the prosecution was unable to give reasons for the absence of the witnesses. The four witnesses had apparently not turned up during the previous hearing as well. The ASJ said that over the past four years only 44 of the 100 witnesses had been examined.

Another accused in the case, Keshav, had asked for the speedy disposal of the case yesterday. ``With folded hands I request before this court that my case be heard on day-to-day basis...if the case goes on with this speed, there will be no meaning of justice,'' Keshav declared in a recorded statement.

Thareja said: ``The court is ready for day-to-day hearing to dispose of the case in three to four months provided the special public prosecutor and the counsel for the accused assist the court.''

Police flayed for not producing evidence
Additional Sessions Judge G.P. Thareja expressed his dissatisfaction at the police for failing to bring the required case property to the court in a murder case. The judge has directed the police commissioner to look into the matter and ``severely deal'' with the persons responsible for the lapse.

While pronouncing the order, the judge observed:``This is a murder case, which is the most serious offence under the Indian Penal Code.'' He went on to express apprehensions about the prosecution's approach in cases where mild sentences are prescribed.

The prosecution had been directed in the last order, passed on January 11, to begin producing evidence in the case. While the prosecution produced its three witnesses in Court today as directed, it said it could not present the case property as it was lying with the CFSL.

Calling it unfortunate, the judge asked the police commissioner to take the required action, else it would be presumed that he too is a party such faulty functioning of the administration. He told the public prosecutor to send the copy of the order to the Delhi Police.

The Additional Sessions Judge also ordered the prosecution to produce the case property in court one week before the next date of hearing, that is May 25.