Uttarakhand Authority Urges Action On Brigadier Joshi's Compensation Plea

The Uttarakhand State Legal Services Authority is pressing for action on the compensation claim filed by the family of retired Brigadier Mukesh Joshi, who tragically died in a Dehradun shootout.

The Uttarakhand State Legal Services Authority has asked the Dehradun district judge to ensure action on a compensation plea filed by the family of retired Brigadier Mukesh Joshi, who was killed after being hit by a stray bullet during a shootout between two groups in the Rajpur area here.

Legal Authority's Directive on Compensation Claim

In a letter addressed to the district judge, who is also the ex officio chairperson of the Dehradun District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Member-Secretary of the State Legal Services Authority Pradeep Kumar Mani referred to a reminder sent by the deceased officer's widow, Renu Joshi, after no action was taken on her earlier application seeking Rs 1 crore compensation from the state government.

"The said application is addressed to the Dehradun DLSA, and a copy thereof has been forwarded to this Authority. Therefore, you are requested to kindly instruct the DLSA Secretary to take appropriate action on the aforementioned letter in accordance with the rules, and to duly inform this Authority of the same," Mani said in the letter.

Details of the Incident and Compensation Request

Joshi, the 74-year-old former Army officer, was on a morning walk along Mussoorie Road on March 30 when he was fatally hit during an exchange of fire between occupants of a Fortuner and a Scorpio, triggered by a dispute that began at a nightclub.

On April 16, Renu Joshi wrote to the DLSA secretary seeking directions to the state government to initiate proceedings on her compensation claim under the Uttarakhand Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011, highlighting that Joshi served the Indian Army for 36 years and received the Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for his exemplary courage.

Widow's Plea for Expedited Action

In her reminder sent on May 5, she said that despite the passage of 17 days, no decision had been taken on interim compensation. Furthermore, she neither received any information regarding the status of her application nor had any timeframe been provided for the settlement of her claim.

She said the matter fell under Section 357A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which provides for timely relief, including interim compensation, to victims of heinous crimes.

Referring to the emotional trauma suffered by the family, Renu Joshi sought immediate release of interim compensation, early disposal of the application, and information on the expected timeline for final settlement of the claim.