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Rights panel to hear Rourkela girl drowning case

Rights panel to hear Rourkela girl drowning case

Time of India2 days ago
Rourkela: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will hold a hearing in Bhubaneswar on Monday regarding the drowning of a seven-year-old girl, Sarun Badaik, into an unprotected underground tank in an affordable housing colony here on May 28.
NHRC will hear the case following a complaint by human rights activist Saarat Jena, who described the incident as a murder due to systemic negligence involving the contractor and senior officials associated with the housing project. Deputy secretary in the home department has instructed the collector and district magistrate of Sundargarh to attend the NHRC's camp sitting.
Sarun, the only daughter of Mumbai-based mason Rohit Badaik, fell into the tank while playing in the Gopabandhu Nagar housing complex, a project executed by the Rourkela Development Authority.
Her body was discovered after a three-hour search. The family had recently moved to the colony from Bidyut Basti. The incident sparked outrage among residents, who demanded accountability from civic authorities and the contractor.
Protesters, including human rights activists, have called for a high-level inquiry and Rs 50 lakh compensation for the bereaved family. They have also requested assistance for the parents to adopt another child, as Sarun's mother is unable to conceive again. The protesters initially refused to release the body for post-mortem until their demands were met.
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