Pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel by Wednesday: SC to Green Line

The High Court yesterday directed Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 50 lakh by Wednesday to Russel Sarker, who lost his left leg after a bus of the company ran him over in April last year.

The court also asked Green Line Paribahan authorities to inform it by Thursday after complying with the order.

The HC passed the order while hearing a writ petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer Umme Kulsum Smrity.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court upheld the HC's March 12 order that asked Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel Sarker for his treatment.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order, dismissing a petition filed by Green Line seeking a stay on the HC's March 12 order.

Now, Green Line Paribahan must pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel following the apex court order, Advocate Shamsul Haque Reza, a lawyer for Russel, told The Daily Star.

During hearing of the same petition on March 12, the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader directed Green Line to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel in two weeks, to bear costs for his treatment .

The bench also fixed March 31 (yesterday) for further hearing on this issue and asked Green Line to submit a report on the progress of complying with the directive before it by this time.

Without complying with the HC order, Green Line recently filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the SC seeking stay on the HC's March 12 directive.

Russel, 26, a car driver of a power company, lost his leg from below the knee after he was knocked down by the bus near Mayor Hanif Flyover at the capital's Dholaipar on April 4 last year. The bus driver had an altercation with him and ran Russel over as he chased down the bus for rear-ending his car.

Russel was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with the severed leg and later transferred to Apollo Hospitals from Square Hospitals.

Advocate Umme Kulsum Smrity, on May 13 last year, filed the writ petition with the HC seeking necessary order on the authorities concerned to compensate Russel for his damaged leg and to stop reckless driving.

Following the petition, the HC issued a rule the next day, asking authorities concerned of Green Line Paribahan and the government to explain why they would not be ordered to pay Tk 1 crore compensation to Russel Sarker.