Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition of Hyderabad's VNR engineering college seeking recalling or modification of its order, directing it to pay Rs 2.5 lakh each to the kin of all the 24 students who were washed away by gushing waters of Beas river last month.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan had passed the order after taking suo motu cognisance of media reports on the tragic incident on June 9.
In its plea, the college requested recalling or modification of the order, claiming that it had got accidental insurance for all 926 students of B Tech second year and each student was covered for a risk of Rs 2 lakh for which the premium was being paid by the college.
"The college authorities have also decided to refund the tuition fee paid by the students over the two years, to the tune of Rs 1.74 lakh, and to repay any educational loan taken by the parents for education of students," the college said in the plea.
However, the court said that no ground for modification of order is made out and the effect of refund of tuition fee and release of insurance amount will be considered at the time of final orders.
The court also directed the college to refund the amount of tuition fee and also asked the insurance company to release insurance amount within two weeks.
Meanwhile, the H P State Electricity Board submitted that the interim compensation amount has been deposited by it. The court also directed the government officers including investigating officer to file fresh status report before August 4, the next date of hearing.
The 24 B Tech students and a co-tour leader were drowned in flash floods in the Beas river near Thalot on Mandi-Kullu national highway on the evening of June 8 after the Larji hydropower project authorities suddenly released water from the dam.
Following massive search operations by rescue teams of NDRF, Army, police, Navy, ITBP and 50 expert divers for over a month, 21 bodies of students were recovered while three students and the co-tour leader are still missing.
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