New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- The Supreme Court has taken exception to the delay of over three years in carrying out its order directing a fresh assessment of compensation for victims of the 2006 fire at an exhibition in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district that claimed 65 lives and left more than 160 injured with severe burns. Taking up the victims' plea for "just compensation", a bench of justices Prashant K Mishra and Vipul M Pancholi in a recent order directed immediate implementation of its April 2022 order nominating a senior judicial officer in Meerut to carry out the exercise and submit a report to the court by January 21, 2026. The order passed on December 10 said, "Despite there being a lapse of three-and-a-half years after the above order (of April 12, 2022) being passed, the report of the nominated District Judge/Additional District Judge is not available." The court directed the nominated judge to expeditiously complete the exercise and submit a report through the Registrar General of the Allahabad high court. "The report must reach this court one week before the next date of hearing on January 28," it said. The court was hearing a petition filed by four people who lost their kin in the tragedy that took place on April 10, 2006 when a fire erupted at the India Brand Consumer Show organized at Victoria Park, Meerut by Mrinal Events and Expositions. The Centre paid ex-gratia compensation of Rs.1 lakh each for the deceased and Rs.50,000 each for those with serious injuries while the state announced Rs.5 lakh to each deceased, Rs.2 lakh to seriously injured and Rs.75,000 to those with minor injuries. P4...