Maharashtra government told Bombay High Court (November 29) that it will be disbursing Rs 10 lakh to the family of Mohsin Sheikh who was killed by a mob in Pune.

Government pleader Manish Pabale, appearing for the state government, said that this entire amount will be disbursed to the family within a week. Rs 5 lakh would be given from the central government’s fund while Rs 5 lakh would be given by the state as ex gratia.

Sheikh was working with an IT firm in Pune. He was beaten to death by a mob on June 2, 2014 in Pune’s Hadapsar area. A communal tension had erupted after morphed photos of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were circulated on social media.

Sheikh and his friends were returning after offering prayers when a large mob encircled them. While his friends escaped, Mohsin was caught and lynched to death.

Chief Justice NH Patil and Justice MS Karnik have kept the matter for further hearing on two weeks for the government to inform them if the amount has been paid or not.

In this case, Pune Police had filed chargesheet against 23 members of Hindu Rashtra Sena, including its head Dhananjay Desai. While some of the accused were released on bail, Desai is still lodged at the Yerwada prison in Pune.

Mohsin’s father had approached the Bombay High Court after he did not receive a penny of what had been promised by the state.

As carried in IT