Clear ₹9.73 cr of pending victim compensation dues in 5 weeks: Kerala HC to govt

The Kerala High Court has mandated the state government to release compensation amounts, exceeding ₹9.73 crore across 225 cases, within a span of five weeks. The ruling came from a bench consisting of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M. They also directed the government to release mediators' honorarium at revised rates temporarily, with a subsequent review based on the proposal put forth by the Board of Governors in 2022.

The court emphasized that the Member Secretary of the Kerala Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) must ensure timely victim compensation disbursement.

To prevent future delays, the court instructed the Secretaries of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) to collect all required documents from victims at the time of adjudication. Moreover, the court directed the review of the mediation centres' infrastructure status weekly, with a report to be filed on December 2. The claims for victim compensation, totaling ₹9.73 crore in 225 cases, have been pending since September 16, 2026, up to July 2026.

The state government was directed to release the amount, preferably within the stipulated period. The court also ordered the Member Secretary of KeLSA to submit a statement to the Secretary of the Finance Department, specifying the additional amount payable for mediators' honorarium per the revised rates as of September 30. The Finance Department was instructed to release the differential amount as soon as possible, and the Member Secretary of KeLSA was directed to file an affidavit reporting the disbursement to provide compliance with the court order.