The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary in the case of death of an electrocution victim in Dhenkanal district and asked him to submit a report within six weeks on why compensation of Rs 1 lakh should not be paid to the victim’s kin.
The Commission also directed the Energy Department Special Secretary to submit the inquiry report of the Chief Electric Officer within four weeks.
Notably, the Commission issued the directions hearing a petition filed by a civil society organisation Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain.
Swain had stated that a woman Satya Behera of Sabarsahi village in Dhenkanal district had died in an electrical accident while she was drying clothes on the rooftop of her house.
Earlier, the Energy Department Special Secretary in a report said the incident occurred while the deceased was drying wet clothes on the roof of her house. Unfortunately, the bare lT line passing over the roof of the house came into contact with body of the deceased and she died. But a compensation of Rs 30,000 was paid to her daughter. However, the commission said the victim died due to the negligence of CESU so why a higher compensation should not be paid.