india

Updated: Oct 09, 2019 20:25 IST

Almost a month after a 23-year-old woman on a scooter was run over by a water tanker after an illegal banner on a Chennai road fell on her, her father moved the Madras High Court on Wednesday seeking one crore rupees as compensation for his daughter’s death.

R Subhashri’s father R Ravi also asked the court to direct the Tamil Nadu government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe her death and to enact a law with maximum punishment to prevent people from erecting unauthorized hoardings.

In his petition, Ravi said the accident on September 12 happened because government officials neglected their duty.

“The inaction on the part of the state law enforcement machinery in preventing and later removing the illegally erected hoarding caused the accident,” he said in his petition.

Ravi further submitted that he had made a representation to the State Government on September 24 asking it to provide a compensation of Rs one crore for the death of his daughter.

“We have also asked the government to enact a special law to restrict the erection of illegal hoardings. But it has not responded to our petition till date.” He therefore requested the court to direct the government to meet all the three demands mentioned in his petition.

The high court admitted the petition which will come for hearing before a vacation bench comprising of justice S Vaidyanathan and justice C Saravanan on Thursday.

Subhashri, a software professional, died as a speeding water tanker hit her after an illegal hoarding fell on her while she was driving her two-wheeler on September 12.

Police have filed cases against the water tanker driver and AIADMK’s former Chennai Corporation Councillor S Jayagopal who had illegally set up the banner. After a long manhunt, Jayagopal was finally arrested on September 27.

Subhashri death sparked an outrage against the banner culture in Tamil Nadu and prompted actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set an example in putting an end to the fad that has become ubiquitous in the state.