The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Centre to ensure sanction of necessary funds to the family members of two tribal people killed by Maoists in a Praja Court in Malkangiri in 2014.
The NHRC has also asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to release funds as per the scheme of the Government of India for payment to the families of the victims and called for response within six weeks.
The order came upon hearing a petition filed by rights campaigner Subash Mohapatra, who had raised the issue of non-payment of compensation to the families of the deceased Deba Sodi and Irama Banjamin.
The victims’ families had received only Rs2 lakh from the State Government, but the rest amount of Rs3 lakh under the Central scheme was yet to be paid to them by the Central Government, the NHRC observed.
Earlier, the NHRC had directed the Malkangiri Collector to furnish the details of the steps taken by him for obtaining funds from the Central Government for payment to the families of the deceased.
In response to the direction of the commission, the Malakanagiri Collector intimated that necessary communications were sent to the MHA Joint Secretary (IS-II Division). The Collector requested the Central authorities to release the funds.
The NHRC considered the contents of the report and directed the MHA Joint Secretary (IS-II Division) to ensure sanction of the funds as per the scheme of the Central Government for payment to the families.
On January 25, 2014, Deba Sodi and Irama Bangami of Silakota village of Podia block were killed at a Praja Court in a dense forest in Malkangiri district.
The matter came to the notice of the commission on January 28, 2014 when rights activist Mohapatra lodged a complaint at the NHRC.
The petitioner alleged that the Government has failed to protect the right to life of the victims and denied compensation to the next of kin of the deceased.
Pursuant to the directions of the commission, the Crime Branch CID, Cuttack Superintendent of Police on March 31, 2014 had submitted a report with the commission that the next of the kin of two deceased victims did not cooperate with the district police in submitting the requisite documents, thereby delaying in paying in the amount.
“Families of 435 deceased persons, who were killed by Maoist, have not been paid due to non-availability of Central assistance,” Mohapatra added.