Govt releases damage amount for suicide victim's family

The ST and SC Development department has released an amount of Rs 5 lakh to be paid to one Sudam Raita of Gajapati district whose daughter Sunita had committed suicide in August 2014.
The department's action came after the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) dismissed a review petition filed by the state government.
A nursing student, Sunita had taken the extreme step when the Gajapati district authorities did not release her annual stipend after repeated pleas. Even when the state government did not respond after Sunita's untimely and unfortunate death, human rights activist advocate Prabir Kumar Das had approached the OHRC seeking compensation to the victim's family.

Das in his application had alleged that the 19-year-old tribal girl from Gajapati district was deprived of her annual stipend of Rs 54,000 for over 18 months as a result she was expelled from a Bhubaneswar-based College in which she was pursuing B.Sc. (Nursing).
"When her prayers remained unanswered for several days, the poor tribal girl took the unfortunate step", Das had said in his application seeking a damage of Rs 10 lakh to the victim's family
Accordingly, the Berhampur-based Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) was asked by the OHRC to conduct an enquiry and submit a report. On the basis of RDC report, the OHRC in February this year had directed the government to pay a damage of Rs 5 lakh to the father of the deceased girl.

The amount will be recovered from the erring official(s) to be determined after an enquiry, said a letter issued by the concerned department.