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Tension prevailed at Ripon Buildings on Wednesday as a team from the city civil court attempted to confiscate movable properties of the corporation’s electrical department as it did not abide by a recent court order.
The 9th city civil court had upheld an earlier order and passed an order directing the civic authorities to pay compensation in the case of the electrocution of Ramachandran, a labourer, who died in 1988 after an overhead electric cable had snapped and fallen on him at Kothavalchavai in Parrys, according to the team of baiiffs led by Balu.

A case was filed on behalf of the victim in the sixth city civil court seeking compensation.

A few years later, the court ordered the corporation authorities to pay compensation of Rs.4 lakh.

However, it is almost two decades since the order has been passed but the compensation has not been paid.

A contempt petition was filed at the ninth city civil court and the judge, Balachandran, passed orders to confiscate movable properties to the tune of Rs.13 lakh to compensate the members of the labourer’s family, sources said.
The amount includes the principal compensation of Rs.4 lakh, as well as the interest for the past two decades, the sources explained.

Corporation commissioner P.W.C. Davidar said that he was unaware of the legal proceedings and the case.

Davidar assured the team from the civil court that the compensation of Rs.13 lakh will be settled in two days. Only then did the court team leave the headquarters of the civic body.

-dc chn