The High Court (HC) on Sunday ordered Green Line Paribahan authorities to pay Tk 5 lakh within a week as the first instalment to clear the rest Tk 45 lakh compensation money to Russel Sarker, who lost his left leg after a bus of the said paribahan hit him in the city’s Dolairpar area on April 28 last year.
The HC bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and K M Kamrul Kader passed the order after hearing on a time prayer filed by the company’s new lawyer Shah Monjurul Hoque.
Green Line Paribahan already paid Tk 5 lakh to Russel. And the High Court ordered Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 5 lakh to Russel Sarker as monthly instalment to clear the rest Tk 45 lakh compensation money.
Green Line Paribahan was asked to pay Tk 5 lakh by the first seven days of every month and submit a report to the court by the 15th day of the month. But the transport
company did not comply with the order yet.
As the company did not comply with the HC’s order, its lawyer Advocate Md Ozi Ullah on July 16 withdrew himself as a lawyer of the private bus service company.
On that day, the HC bench fixed July 21 for passing further order on the issue. Yesterday Advocate Shah Monjurul Hoque appeared in the court for the transport company.
During the hearing, the lawyer prayed for one week time to pay Russel Sarker. Then the court granted one week time to the Green Line and fixed July 28 for further hearing on the issue.
The writ petitioner’s lawyer Khondaker Shamsul Hoque Reza said, “If the Green Line failed to pay Russel within the stipulated time, then we will file contempt of court petition against the company.”
On April 4, the HC ordered Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel by April 10, saying that it would pass an order for confiscation of buses if the transport company did not pay the money within the given time.
The HC also asked the company not to sell tickets for April 11 if it failed to pay the money.
On April 10, Green Line Paribahan gave a cheque of Tk five lakh to Russel Sarkar. Md Alauddin, the owner of Green Line Paribahan, handed over the cheque to Russel Sarkar inside the courtroom of the High Court.
On that day, the HC asked the Green Line Paribahan owner to pay the rest amount of Tk 45 lakh to Russel in one month time. At the same time, the court ordered the bus company to take initiative for Russel’s treatment with their cost.
On June 25 the HC Tuesday ordered Green Line Paribahan authorities to pay the compensation money by monthly installment.
Earlier on May 14 last year, the High Court issued a rule asking as to why private car driver Russel, 23, should not get Tk one crore as compensation. Green Line was asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Russel, 26, a car driver of a power company, lost his leg below the knee after he was knocked down by the bus near the Mayor Hanif Flyover in the capital’s Dholaipar on April 28 last year.
The bus driver had an altercation with him and ran over Russel as he chased down the bus.
Russel was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with a severed leg, and transferred to Square Hospitals and later to Apollo Hospitals.
After being informed, police impounded the bus and detained Kabir from near the National Press Club. However, Kabir is now on bail in the case filed over the incident.
