Forgetting civic duties for few bucks: High Court on Goa club fire that killed 25
India Today
Hearing the matter, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court underlined that ensuring safety is a public duty and lamented that some business owners appear to forget this obligation in the rush for profit.
The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday expressed disappointment over what it described as a growing disregard for civic responsibility, observing that the pursuit of "a few quick bucks" should not become grounds for a compromise of public safety. The remarks came during the hearing of a petition concerning last year’s devastating fire at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa, which claimed 25 lives.
Hearing the matter, the bench underlined that ensuring safety is a public duty and lamented that some business owners appear to forget this obligation in the rush for profit.
"It is definitely a public duty. Just for making a few quick bucks If people forget civic duties, then what to do? Then we have to deal with this case wise," the bench observed.
The court said it was conscious of the larger public interest involved and would step in if administrative lapses persisted, but cautioned that judicial intervention must be measured to avoid creating further chaos.
The Advocate General informed the court that compensation of Rs 7 lakh had been paid to the families of each deceased victim — Rs 5 lakh by the state government and Rs 2 lakh by the Union government.
Injured persons received Rs 1 lakh each, shared equally by the state and the Centre.
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