Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: The state government has filed the report of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the Kandhamal riots in the Supreme Court in support of its submission that the NHRC had only dealt with riots occurred in the district in 2008 and had nothing to do with those of 2007.
In response to a petition seeking additional compensation to the victims of 2007 riots, the state government submitted in the court that the NHRC had only dealt with 2008 riots victims and the apex court’s order of 2016 for additional compensation was also confined to 2008 riots victims only.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices UU Lalit, Hemant Gupta and S Ravindra Bhat had adjourned the hearing in the matter for three weeks following the state government’s request.
Earlier, the apex court in November 2020 had sought the clarification from the state government whether any other agency had dealt with 2007 Kandhamal riots.
Significantly, a contempt petition was filed by Archbishop John Baruwa in the apex court saying that additional compensation has not been paid by the state government to victims of 2007 riots.
The petitioner contended that the apex court’s direction in 2016 was to give additional compensation to all victims of Kandhamal riots. He submitted that the state government has given additional compensation to 2008 riots victims but they have been completely neglecting victims of 2007 violence.
Notably, at least three persons were killed and over 100 churches and church institutions, including convents and hostels, 700 houses and other structures were burnt in the riots which devastated the district between December 24 and 27, 2007 .
Similarly, 39 people were killed and over 395 churches vandalised, 600 villages ransacked; over 5,600 houses were looted and over 54,000 people were left homeless in the August 2008 riots in Khandhamal district which allegedly set off after the murder of Swami Lakshmananda.
PNN