HC asks Sena-BJP to pay Rs 20 lakh each for bandh

The Bombay high court has ordered the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party to pay Rs 20 lakh each as compensation to the Maharashtra government for the losses suffered during a bandh they called on July 30, 2003 in Mumbai.

The bandh was called in the wake of the July 28, 2003 Ghatkopar bomb blast that left two dead and over 25 injured.

A Bench comprising Justice A P Shah and Justice S U Kamdar signed the order on Wednesday.

The order followed a PIL filed by AGNI, a non-government

organisation; theatre personality Alyque Padamsee; and former municipal commissioner B G Deshmukh.

Also see: Ghatkopar blast -- All accused acquitted
 
The PIL pegged the loss suffered due to the bandh at Rs 50 crore.

The PIL said the bandh was forced on the people of Mumbai and that it was violative of the Supreme Court order of 1997 prohibiting political parties from resorting to such methods of agitation.

The Sena and BJP have, however, claimed that the bandh was spontaneous.