BHUBANESWAR: detected cases as well as acquittals in the 2008 Kandhamal communal riots, the Supreme Court has said the State Government should look into the cases again and bring the culprits to book. The bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, which delivered the judgment on August 2, observed that out of 827 cases registered for communal violence, chargesheet was filed in 512 cases whereas in 315 cases, final reports were submitted.
"In 315 cases, either no offence was found to have been made or the offenders could not be detected. Such large proportion is quite disturbing. The State could do well in looking into all these 315 cases and see that the offenders are brought to book," the SC bench said. The State Government had filed an affidavit on the status of the investigation and prosecution had submitted that out of 827 cases, trial has been completed in 362 cases and conviction was achieved in 78 cases. This meant, 284 cases ended in acquittal and only 15 appeals were filed which the apex court took note of and expressed its concern.
It observed that the authorities concerned must see to it that the matters are taken up wherever acquittals were not justified on facts. The SC also rejected the plea for handing over the probe to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI ). When final form has been submitted in all 827 cases of communal violence which were registered, it would not be proper to direct that the investigation and consequential steps be entrusted to the CBI, it said. The apex court, which had directed that additional compensation be paid to victims of the riots, has ordered that an additional sum of Rs 3 lakh be paid by the State Government in case of every death during the communal violence. Earlier, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh has already been granted and disbursed. Out of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 2 lakh was paid by the State Government while the rest was from the Centre.
Similarly, the SC directed the State to pay an additional Rs 30,000 for serious injury cases and Rs 10,000 for simple injury. So far, no compensation has been paid on this head. For fully-damaged houses, the court instructed an additional compensation of Rs 70,000 of which Rs 50,000 has to be paid by the State Government. Earlier, a similar amount has already been paid. For partially damaged cases, the court ruled an additional Rs 30,000 as compensation out of which Rs 20,000 is to be borne by the State Government. Earlier, a similar sum has already been granted and disbursed.