High Court irked at Green Line over Russell payment

The High Court has expressed its indignation at Green Line Paribahan over its failure to pay compensation to accident victim Russell Sarkar within the deadline.

The court on Wednesday warned the transport group against mistaking its flexibility for ‘weakness’.

Car driver Russell Sarkar lost his leg on Apr 28 last year after being run over by a Green Line Paribahan bus on the Jatrabari flyover.

Lawyer Umme Kulsum filed a writ petition to the High Court on May 14 last year, seeking compensation for Russell. The High Court ordered Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 5 million to Russell on top of paying the bills of his medical treatment. The orders were subsequently upheld by the top court.

Green Line paid Tk 500,000 to Russell Sarkar on Apr 10 and were given a month to pay the remaining Tk 4.5 million. 

On May 15, the court gave the transport group seven more days to complete the payment after it failed to meet the deadline.

Asked if the payment was made during a hearing on Wednesday, Md Ozi Ullah, the lawyer for Green Line, said, “The Green Line authority has not been in touch with me since May 20. I have decided to withdraw myself from this case. I’m very much annoyed with their behaviour.”

On the payments made towards Russell’s medical treatment so far, Khondokar Shamsul Haque Reza, the lawyer presenting the petition in court, said, “Green Line has paid Tk 300,000 for the victim’s treatment. They issued a cheque of Tk 500,000 but have not been in touch over the payment of the remaining amount.”

The court then asked if Russell could walk, to which the lawyer said, “He has got an artificial leg and can walk with the help of a crutch.”