HC Asks Odisha Govt To Pay Rs 50L Relief To Mother Who Lost Her Son To Cop Firing 17 Yrs Ago

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to pay a sum of Rs 50 lakh within seven days to the 70-year-old mother of Sayed Mamtaz Ali, who was shot dead by an ASI in 2005, at her residence as a token of respect to the bereaved family and society.

Sayed Mumtaz Ali was working with Hindustan Construction Company Ltd on their Chandikhol-Paradeep Port Trust Road Project on a contractual basis.  He held a diploma in mechanical engineering.  On November 29, Jayanta Kumar Das working as a diesel genset operator at Mahanadi Bridge site of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd was forcibly taken to Chakradharpur Outpost in Kujang area in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur by its in-charge ASI Muralidhar Sahoo. Mumtaz Ali along with some other employees went to the police outpost to enquire about the reason. The ASI, who was in an inebriated state, abused them and fired on Mumtaz Ali with his service revolver as he was trying to pacify him. He was shot in the chest and in the waist and died on the spot.

Nigar Begum of Dhuansahi village under Salipur police limits filed a petition on August 25, 2006, claiming compensation for the death of the son due to the illegal act of a policeman. And it had been pending for the last 17 years.

Terming it unfortunate, a single-judge bench of Biswanath Rath on February 20 directed for payment of along with Rs 50 lakh compensation Rs 1 lakh towards litigation expenses, which is to be paid within the same time, for forcing her to bring litigation to get such an order despite a recommendation by the Enquiry Authority since 2005.

The RDC had submitted the inquiry report on February 1, 2006.

“If the amount is not handed over within seven days of communication of this judgment, the petitioner will be entitled to interest @ 7% on the compensation from the date of submission of the enquiry report suggesting adequate compensation,” the order said.

The court also directed the state government to prevent such non-compliance in future.