The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday awarded a compensation of over Rs 50 crore (including interest) to the kin of 446 people who died and nearly 200 who suffered injuries in the fire which took place on December 23, 1995 at a school function in Dabwali (Haryana).

Putting an end to a 14-year-long legal battle, a division Bench comprising Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia awarded the exemplary compensation and fixed a deadline of four months for the payment to be made.

Running into 188 pages, the Bench has ruled that 55 per cent of the total amount is to be paid by the DAV Centenary Public School, Mandi Dabwali and Rajiv Marriage Palace situated at Chautala Chowk, Mandi Dabwali, the venue where the mishap took place. The remaining 45 per cent will be paid by the Haryana government. The state government has been given the liberty to recover 15 per cent each of its 45 per cent liability from Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited and Municipal Committee, Dabwali.

In the event of default in payment within four months, the High Court has ruled that the kin of the deceased and injured will be at liberty to move the court demanding contempt proceedings against the authorities. Moreover, the High Court has ruled that the Court of Additional Civil Judge (Sr Division), Dabwali, shall be competent to determine the issue and direct payment. In a reprieve for those who suffered injuries in the mishap, the Bench has ruled that “in case state-run hospitals in Haryana are not equipped to provide the requisite treatment to the victims, such treatment may be provided either at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, or at the AIIMS, Delhi, at the cost of the state government upon satisfaction of the Director, Health Services, Government of Haryana, that such treatment cannot be provided in the state-run hospitals”.