Srinagar, Mar 5:  The High Court on Monday directed the director Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura to take immediate steps for the plastic surgery of the students who suffered physical disabilities after a high tension electric line struck their school at Shariefabad on city outskirts here in April 2004.
 A single bench of Justice Hasnain Massodi also asked the director SKIMS to take immediate steps for the plastic surgery and report the court if there was a better facility available in the country where the plastic surgery can be carried out.
 The court held that the in keeping with the urgency of the treatment, the director shall submit the report indicating the facility available on next date of hearing which was fixed in first week of April.
 The Court passed the direction after Government advocate, M Ashraf Thakur informed the court that in compliance of the court orders, Rs one lakh was deposited with the director SKIMS.
 On April 18, 2004, a tragedy struck in Shariefabad Budgam after 11 KV line fell on a school, causing death of three students, Muhammad Maqbool Sheikh, Firdous Ahmad Rather and Tanvir Ahmad Bhat.
 The tragedy deprived Ghulam Hassan Rather of his both legs while Ehsan Ali Malla’s face and head were disfigured completely and he lost his memory too. Yasmeena, another student’s face was disfigured.
 The families later approached the High Court for medical treatment of the victims and financial assistance.
 On September 15, 2011, the court had observed that the victims had suffered serious injuries that appeared to have disfigured them and made their chance of earning livelihood bleak and impossible.
 The Director Health Service who was present in the court during the proceedings then pleaded that a committee constituted in 2007 “ examined the victims and made recommendations but without any follow up action.”
 The respondents had sought time to bring on record the minutes of the meeting of the committee as also order by which the committee was constituted during course of the day.
  The court had also arrayed Commissioner-Secretary and Chief Engineer, Power Development Department, and Commissioner Secretary, Health Department as party respondents.
 The case again came up for hearing on Feb 22, 2012, but the respondents had not filed the report of the committee.
 Reproaching its ‘callous’ attitude towards the plight of the victim children, Justice Hasnain Massodi had observed that the counsel for the respondents had not filed copy of the order whereby Committee was constituted.
 The court had directed the Commissioner Secretary, Power Development Department, to deposit Rs one lakh with Director SKIMS within one week to meet the expenses to be incurred on the treatment and plastic surgery of the petitioners.
 The petitioners were represented by Tasaduq Khawja in the case.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST