Swathi Murder Case: Madras HC Rejects Plea From Victim's Parents Seeking Rs 3 Cr Compensation From Southern Railways

Swathi Murder Case: Justice R Subramanian rejected the plea from K Santhanakrishnan and his wife A Ranganayagi, made in November 2016, on Thursday.

Madras High Court

Source : File photo

Chennai: The Madras High Court rejected a plea from the parents of S Swathi (24), a techie, who was murdered at a platform in the Nungambakkam railway station here in 2016, seeking Rs 3 crore as compensation from the Southern Railway due to the “sheer negligence” on the part of the railway authorities.

Justice R Subramanian rejected the plea from K Santhanakrishnan and his wife A Ranganayagi, made in November 2016, on Thursday.

The writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution before the Court is not the right forum to order compensation, the judge said and advised the couple to approach the appropriate one having civil jurisdiction.

The slain woman’s parents contended the murder of their young blossoming daughter occurred at a crowded place in day light. 

It would have been averted if the railway authorities, including the Railway Protection Force (RPF), who were duty bound to provide security to the passengers, had acted in a diligent manner.

The sheer negligence on their part, had emboldened the assailant(s) to murder their daughter. So, the Southern Railway is bound to pay the compensation, they further contended.

Swathi was murdered at the busy Nungambakkam railway station, sending shock waves across the state. On June 24, 2016, an Infosys employee Swathi was stabbed to death with a sickle in broad daylight at Chennai's Nungambakkam railway station while waiting for her train. The body was kept unattended for over two hours and after all the process the police handed over the body of the deceased to a Government Hospital.

The man accused of killing her later allegedly died of suicide in prison.