Hours after a 60-year-old notary advocate was charred to death and four others sustained burn injuries in a fire triggered by an explosion in a power transformer on Patna civil court premises on Wednesday afternoon, the Chief Justice of Patna high court, K Vinod Chandran, inspected the site in the evening and held talks with the district administration, South Bihar Power Distribution Company and the local Bar representatives.

He was accompanied by Justices Ashutosh Kumar, Vipul Pancholi and P B Bajanthari of the HC, besides Bihar State Bar Council (BSBC) chairman Ramakant Sharma.

Sharma said that an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the family of the deceased person/persons (in case anyone succumbs to their burns). “Out of said amount, Rs 5 lakh compensation has been announced by Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Mishra, Rs 4 lakh by state power distribution company and Rs 1 lakh by BSBC,” he said.

Besides, the BCI and BSBC each will provide Rs 50,000 compensation to all the persons who were injured in this blast.

While inspecting the sites, the CJ and others took stalk of the practical problems faced by more than 300 lawyers and an equal number of advocates, clerks and stenographers who had to evacuate the old dilapidated building of the District Bar Association, which was bulldozed two months back for the construction of a new one.

The lawyers of Patna civil court expressed their anguish over their evacuation from the old building without making any alternative arrangement.

Chambers for the lawyers have been temporarily provided near one of the three main entrances of civil court on the Pirbohore police station side, which has been locked due blockade of its approach path. The two others are functional while the blast took place near gate one.

Taking serious notice, Sharma has also called an emergency meeting of the BSBC members on Thursday to discuss the safety measures and dearth of space for the lawyers in Patna civil court.

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