KEONJHAR/BHUBANESWAR: A day after a 14-year-old tribal student of KISS died in Bhubaneswar, his family members and local villagers on Saturday staged dharna in front of the district collectorate alleging murder and demanding further inquiry into the matter.
The deceased, Shiva Munda of Gumura village under Keonjhar Town police limits, was a Class IX student. As per his family members, they received a phone call from the school authorities on Friday informing that Shiva had fractured his leg after falling in the bathroom and was admitted to the hospital. However, when his father Raghunath Munda reached the hospital in Bhubaneswar, he was handed over the boy’s body and asked to take it back to the village.
Raghunath alleged that the hospital authorities did not clarify the reason of his son’s death nor provide any document detailing the treatment.
“When I received my son’s body, I saw rope marks on his neck and hands. But, no report has been provided in this regard. I suspect my son died due to negligence on part of the school authorities,” Raghunath said. The family further filed a complaint with Keonjhar police alleging murder.
Local villagers staged a sit-in protest in front of the collectorate besides blocking the road demanding inquiry into the incident and Rs 1 crore compensation to the kin of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the body of Shiva was sent to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem. Later, the district administration provided Rs 20,000 compensation to the family of the deceased.
The protest was lifted after KISS authorities assured the family members over phone of providing adequate compensation.
Meanwhile, a zero FIR was received from Keonjhar town police station and a case registered at Infocity police station in Bhubaneswar.
Infocity IIC Mahendra Sahu said, death summary provided to police suggested Shiva had gastro-related illness and he suffered a cardiac arrest on Friday. He was admitted to the ICU where a second heart attack struck. Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said, a case of death due to negligence has been registered and investigation launched.