CHENNAI: The Kanchipuram District Collector has been directed by the Madras High Court to pay Rs 10 lakh towards compensation to the father of an 18-year-old boy, the only son murdered in a hostel for SC/ST students in Kanchipuram district on October 1, 2010.According to K Saminathan, he admitted his son S Logeswaran in Kamatchi ITI in Sekkupettai in Kanchipuram district during 2010-11 and he was staying in the Adi-Dravidar Welfare Hostel in Kayarkulam.However, Logeswaran’s body was found by the cook on the hostel premises at 6 am on October 1, last year. A complaint was lodged with the Kanchi taluk police for an offence under Sec 302 (murder) of the IPC and the police arrested Purushothaman, another inmate of the hostel. The case was pending before the XII Metropolitan Magistrate, Chennai. Alleging that his son was murdered due to the sheer negligence of the warden and other authorities, the father sought to be compensated with `15 lakh.Restricting the claim to Rs 10 lakh, Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar observed that the facts in the case were not disputed. Logeswaran’s body was found by hostel cook in a pool of blood. The fact that the two students -- Logeswaran and Purushothaman -- were staying in the hostel the previous day was admitted. In the criminal case registered, Purushothaman was cited as an accused. Further, no watchman was posted in the hostel and the warden was not staying on the hostel premises. Thus, there was sheer negligence on the part of the authorities concerned in maintaining the hostel, which caused the death of the petitioner’s only son. If anything happended to the inmates within the hostel premises, the warden/officials alone could be held responsible for the negligence in protecting the life of petitioner’s son.
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