HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE A.GOPAL REDDY AND HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE G.V.SEETHAPATHY DT. 29-3-2010 W.P.NO.6337/2010 1. K. Shankar and another …Petitioners V. 1. The Member Secretary, A.P. State Legal Aid Service Committee, Andhra Pradesh High Court Buildings, A.P., Hyderabad, and another. ..Respondents The Court made the following: HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE A.GOPAL REDDY AND HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE G.V.SEETHAPATHY W.P.NO.6337/2010 ORAL ORDER: (Per the Hon’ble Sri Justice A. Gopal Reddy) Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners as well as Smt. M.Bhaskara Lakshmi, learned Standing Counsel for the A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee. The petitioners are the parents of K. Swapna, who was killed by a pack of stray dogs nearby her residence on 15-6-1998. The said incident was published in the Deccan Chronicle Daily newspaper on 16-6-1998 and 17-6-1998. The same was treated as suo moto WP No.17583/1998 by this court and issued notices to the concerned authorities. Pursuant to the said notice, the officials of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation agreed to deposit a sum of Rs.90,000/- as compensation for their negligence in controlling the menace of stray dogs and accordingly deposited Rs.90,000/- to the credit of WP No.17853/1998. The parents of Swapna, who were present before this court, indicated their preference to deposit the said amount of Rs.90,000/- in Vysya Bank, Chikkadapalli Branch, Hyderabad and in the name of their surviving four children in a fixed deposit for a period of three years with cumulative interest and they will be the joint guardians for their children. Recording the same, this court by order dt. 15-12-1998 directed the Registrar (Judicial) to hand over the demand draft for Rs.90,000/- deposited to the credit of the writ petition to the representative of Vysya Bank, Chikkadapalli Branch, which after making necessary arrangement for issuance of fixed deposit receipt for 3 years, transmit the same in a sealed covered to the Secretary, A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee. Later, the petitioners herein filed WPMP No.33144/2003 in WP No.17583/1998 seeking permission to withdraw the fixed deposit receipt amount of Rs.90000/- with interest after receiving fixed deposit receipt from the Secretary, A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee. This court by order dt. 5- 1-2004 disposed of the petition with the following direction: “In the facts and circumstances, we direct the Secretary of A.P.High Court Legal Services Committee to send the fixed deposit receipts to Vysya Bank, Chikkadapally Branch to have the fixed deposit receipts renewed from the date when the same were matured for a period of three years from the date when the fixed deposit receipts are renewed. The fixed deposit receipts will be renewed of the amount of the fixed deposit receipts and the receipts will thereafter be retained by the Secretary of A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee, and for the accumulated interest, cheques be got prepared in the name of the petitioners, which the Secretary of the Committee will handover to the petitioner for which due information will be given by the Secretary as regards the time to receive cheques which have to be utilized for the benefit of the minor children. The Secretary of A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee will ensure that needful is done within a period of fifteen days from the date of receipt of this order. After getting the receipts renewed. Photostat copies thereof will be sent by the Secretary of A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee to the petitioners for their reference. It is now represented by the Member Secretary, A.P. State Legal Services Authority, who is in-charge of Secretary, A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee, that fixed deposit receipt was renewed from time to time and interest accrued thereon has already been paid to the petitioners. The petitioners who are the parents of Swapna are entitled to receive the compensation and to utilize the same for the betterment of their children’s welfare, education etc., In view of the same, the Secretary, A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee is directed to pay the amount of compensation, lying in fixed deposit with Vysya Bank, Chikkadapalli Branch, with interest accrued thereon/hand over the fixed deposit receipts standing in the names of the petitioners, to the petitioners. The writ petition is accordingly allowed. No costs. _______________ A. GOPAL REDDY, J __________________ G.V.SEETHAPATHY,J Date:29-3-2010 kmr