Madras High Court Seeks Additional Compensation Details for Families of Fishermen Lost in Cyclone Murasu

Chennai, November 12 (Daily Kiran) : The Madras High Court has called for information regarding additional compensation for the families of nine fishermen who lost their lives during Cyclone ‘Murasu.’ The court directed the owner of the fishing boat involved to clarify the amount of extra compensation that will be provided to the families affected by the tragedy.

In a related matter, the court instructed the Royapuram police not to place the arrested boat owner, T. Selvalgan, into judicial custody until November 11, as they investigate the case linked to the deaths of four fishermen. The boat capsized due to the adverse conditions brought on by Cyclone Murasu.

Following the incident, the Royapuram police registered a case and arrested Selvalgan. He subsequently sought bail from the Madras High Court. During the hearing of his petition, the court ordered a stay on the process of sending him into custody until Thursday.

Justice V. Lakshminarayanan heard the bail application, where it was revealed that interim compensation of ₹50,000 had already been disbursed to the families of all nine deceased fishermen. Additionally, it was noted that the wives of three of the deceased had submitted letters expressing their desire to withdraw complaints against the boat owner.

The prosecution requested time to verify these claims with the police and to provide a response. The judge postponed the hearing until November 16 and instructed the police to compile details of the families of all nine deceased fishermen. Furthermore, the judge directed the petitioner’s lawyer to clarify how much additional compensation the boat owner intends to offer to the affected families. The judge also ordered that the families of the deceased fishermen be made parties to the case.