JOIN US The Delhi High Court has finally come to the rescue of a man who was running from 'pillar to post' in search of a proper forum to get justice for over 22 years after losing his leg while boarding a train.
A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Rajiv Shakdher has asked the petitioner, Tilak Raj Singh, to appear before its single judge bench and listed the matter for further hearing on March 12.
"The interlocutory application ...is allowed. The parties shall appear before the learned single judge on March 12, for further proceedings in the matter," the court said.
The court was hearing Singh's plea against the 2010 single bench order which had refused to entertain his petition on the ground that his claim was time barred as it had been filed after 21 years of the accident.
The incident occurred at Muzaffarnagar railway station on October 20, 1987, when Singh got down from the train while going to Ludhiana from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.
Singh's counsel had alleged that when his train stopped at Muzaffarnagar station, he got down to change his boggie as the coach he boarded had inadequate lighting. However, the train started running without any alarm.
Singh fell down and got entangled between the wheels of the train and suffered grievous injuries while trying to board the train once again. This resulted in amputation of his leg when he was admitted in a hospital at New Delhi, according o the counsel.
Singh had claimed damages from the Railways. Government had sanctioned a sum of Rs.5,000 as ex-gratia to him. However, Singh refused to accept the said amount and filed a civil suit in a Meerut court in 1990, claiming damages from the Northern Railways.