The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has sought a compensation of Rs 5.06 crore from the Popular Front of India (PFI) for the damages caused to its transport buses during the recent hartal.
In a petition filed in the Kerala High Court, the state transport corporation stated that 58 buses were damaged during the hartal and many trips had to be cancelled. Many drivers and conductors also suffered injuries.
KSRTC stated that the corporation was in a bad financial position and struggling to stay afloat with state government's assistance. Now it requires a huge amount to repair the buses and make them operational.
The Kerala High Court had already taken a case suo moto against PFI for the flash hartal call. The hartal was observed on September 23 in protest against the arrest of PFI leaders in a nation wide operation by the NIA on September 22. No seven days' advance notice as prescribed by the court earlier was given for the hartal. The case is scheduled for hearing on September 29.
Meanwhile, the Kerala police was continuing the action against PFI activists involved in the violence during the hartal. A total of 1,809 persons were held so far in connection with hartal related violence.
(Published 27 September 2022, 15:24 IST)
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