TOKKONG TAYENG Vs. STATE OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD Mr. D. Pangging, learned counsel, appearing for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. N. Lowang, learned Addl. Senior Government Advocate, appearing on behalf of the State respondents. None appears for the private respondents.

(2.) THESE writ petitions have been filed by the petitioners claiming compensation for the death of sons/daughter-in-law in a tragic boat accident that occurred on 08. 08. 2008 in the Siang River in the East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. Since the said tragic deaths took-place in the same accident and the grounds taken by the petitioners for claiming the compensation are same, both the aforesaid writ petitions are taken-up for hearing together and I propose to dispose of the same by this common judgment and order. In WP (C) 491 (AP) 2008, the petitioner is the father of deceased Basurut Tayeng who was aged about 48 years and was serving as a Junior Teacher in the Education Department of Arunachal Pradesh and was on deputation as a Senior Resource Person under Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and was posted at Mebo in the East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. The petitioner's son late Basurut Tayeng, on 08. 08. 2008, was returning from Pasighat to his native village at Kiyit after attending a Training conducted by the Education Department at Pasighat and boarded the last Ferry for the day at Raneghat, the place from where the private ferry services are run for taking passengers and goods across the Siang river. In WP (C) 472 (AP) 2008, the petitioner is the father of deceased Long Tayeng and father-in-law of deceased Osi Perme. Deceased Long Tayeng was aged about 25 years and a student of Jawahar Lal Nehru Government College at Pasighat and deceased Osi Perme was his newly-wed wife. On 08. 08. 2008, they were returning from Pasighat to their native village at Motum and boarded the last ferry for the day at Raneghat, the place from where the private ferry services are run for taking passengers and goods across the Siang river.

(3.) MOST of the passengers of the said ill-fated boat were luckily rescued by the boat of Sri Apaying Perme, whose boat tried to pull the said boat across the Siang river but Basurut Tayeng, Long Tayeng and Osi Perme got drowned and died in the said accident. The dead body of deceased Basurut Tayeng was retrieved only on 12. 08. 2008 near Majorbari Ghat in the Dhemaji District of Assam. The dead body of deceased Long Tayeng was found on 13. 08. 2008 at around 15 kilometres down-stream of Majorbari Ghat in the Dhemaji District of Assam. The dead body of deceased Osi Perme could not be found till this date and she was presumed to be dead.