HC orders state to pay Rs 1.5L ex gratia to kin of 2 workers killed in 2013 landslide
2
3
Cuttack: Orissa high court has ordered the state govt to pay Rs 1.5 lakh each as ex gratia along with interest to the families of two labourers who died in a landslide in Nayagarh in 2013, quashing the district administration's decision to deny the relief.
Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra, while delivering the judgments on July 10, ruled in favour of the families of Taleswar Jani and Krushna Chandra Mallik, who were killed while working on a road construction project in Sirikibadi village under Banigochha police station limits on July 17, 2013.
Both were buried alive in a sudden landslide during heavy rainfall. However, the Nayagarh collector rejected their families' applications for compensation on June 17, 2022, citing that rainfall on the day of the landslide was below the "standard threshold" prescribed under the Odisha Relief Code.
Calling the rejection "highly arbitrary and unreasonable", the court observed, "Having such a condition as a yardstick to grant compensation is irrational. The state, being a welfare state, must act fairly and reasonably. Viewed from a constitutional perspective, the rejection cannot be justified as being in public interest."
The petitions were filed by Jani's wife, Surama Jani, and son, Jayram Jani, and Mallik's wife, Rasana Mallik, and daughter, Ranjita Mallik.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Learn How To Write Faster for Work (Find Out Now)
Grammarly
Learn More
Undo
The court held that the cause of death — a landslide — was undisputed, and that compensation under the relief code was applicable. "The impugned orders rejecting the claim of the petitioners are hereby quashed," the order stated.
The state has been directed to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to each family, along with interest calculated from the date of their application. The amount must be paid within two months of receiving a certified copy of the judgment. In case of delay, an interest of 12% per annum will be levied until full payment is made.
Legal experts said the ruling underscores the need for humane and rational application of disaster relief policies and may have wider implications for similar cases pending across the state.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Bengaluru: Four held for abducting man; ex-girlfriend named as mastermind
Bengaluru, Jul 26 (PTI) A man reported missing was traced and rescued after police arrested four suspects in connection with a kidnapping plot allegedly planned by his ex-girlfriend. The arrested have been identified as Mohammed Asif Risaldar (42), Mohammed Sohail Sheikh (25), Salman Pasha (22), and Mohammed Nawaz (27), police added. Lawrence Melwin, in his 30s, had worked in Dubai for the past six years as a manager with a travel agency. He returned to Bengaluru six to seven months ago to care for his ailing father, police said. Melwin, known to be a skilled poker player, is believed to have amassed 'considerable wealth" through the game, they added. The case came to light on July 16 when Melwin's mother filed a missing person complaint at the Ashok Nagar police station. She told police that her son, who had been staying at a hotel after a brief stay at home, had not responded to calls since July 14. Investigations revealed that Melwin had left in a cab with his former girlfriend in the early hours of July 14. She had allegedly insisted on meeting him and booked the cab, police said. After travelling some distance, the cab took a detour and stopped a short distance away, at which point two men entered the vehicle and allegedly covered Melwin's face with a cloth mask. Melwin was taken to a service apartment, where he was held captive for several days. The abductors demanded Rs 50 lakh for his release, police claimed. Despite being 'confined and beaten", Melwin managed to send a distress message to his family through someone who volunteered to help after hearing his cries, leading police to the location. On July 23, using technical surveillance and local intelligence, police traced the service apartment and rescued Melwin. The four accused were arrested, eventually. During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed that Melwin's former girlfriend had masterminded the abduction with help from her associates. Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest the remaining accused. PTI AMP SSK view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 21:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs
A pristine white bungalow, four flashy sedans with blue and white diplomatic number plates parked in the driveway, national flags from across the world and a man posing as an 'ambassador'. When Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) raided the 'Embassy of Westarctica' in Ghaziabad's upscale Kavi Nagar neighbourhood earlier this week, they came across an elaborate con job. Far from an an ordinary swindler, Harsh Vardhan Jain, the accused, had been running a fake embassy of a country that doesn't exist, without raising any suspicion for the last nine years. Jain had planned every detail meticulously to build this façade, according to the police. He had allegedly printed fake press cards, doctored photos with top dignitaries and even 'purchased' honorary titles from self-proclaimed micronations. The preliminary investigation, police say, has revealed that Jain was running a multi-nation scam. How did Jain manage to execute such a fraud, undetected for years, right beneath the vigilant gaze of the local Ghaziabad Police is yet to be revealed. How Jain's fake embassy operation was finally exposed is also unknown. According to the UPSTF, Jain is a Ghaziabad-born MBA graduate who claims to have studied in London. His father, JD Jain, was a once reputed industrialist, with marble export businesses operating in Rajasthan. In the early 2000s, Jain reportedly came in contact with self-styled godman Chandraswami, who allegedly introduced him to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and Ehsan Ali Syed, another conman posing as a businessman who was convicted in a fraud case in Switzerland. With their help, Jain is said to have established more than a dozen companies in Dubai, London, and Mauritius — many of them shell firms used to collect 'brokerage' for jobs and promises of huge loans before duping them. After a few years in London and Dubai, Jain allegedly returned to India in 2011 and began projecting himself as a diplomat. Police say he leveraged honorary titles from unrecognised micronations — Seborga, Westarctica, and Lodonia — to set up a fake embassy in his Ghaziabad home. He had also been posing as the ambassador of a fictional nation called Poulvia. When STF officers entered the Kavi Nagar bungalow on July 22, they found what appeared to be a diplomatic mission: cars with blue number plates bearing phrases like 'Honorary Consul – Baron Westarctica', flags of different nations on the property, and signages that were creating the illusion of official legitimacy. Inside, they recovered over Rs 44 lakh in Indian currency, foreign currency from the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, 20 sets of fake diplomatic number plates, 34 stamps and seals of various fake entities,12 passports (some from unrecognized nations), Fake IDs including press cards and two PAN cards, a laptop, phone, and over a dozen luxury watches. Jain had been running the operation, STF officials said, by posing as a diplomatic representative allegedly by using the fake IDs and doctored photos. His setup included 'morphed' images showing him with late President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other leaders, in an attempt to look credible. Through this lavish setup, he had allegedly been luring individuals and companies with promises of jobs and international business deals. To outsiders, the 'embassy' appeared credible, complete with red and green diplomatic license plates and signage that implied ties with multiple global institutions. Officials said he even issued bogus 'diplomatic passports' from micronations and collected money as 'fees' with promises of providing employment in these micronations. Micronations are self-proclaimed countries not recognised by any sovereign state. While any associations with these micronations are often symbolic, Jain had allegedly used his associations with them to create an aura of legitimacy. Seborga, one of the micronations of which he had been posing as an ambassador, is a self-declared principality in Italy. In its statement, it said that it appointed Jain as an honorary councilor in good faith after he had contacted them. The statement also clarified that it was a symbolic post with no legal or diplomatic standing. The principality said that over the years Jain had aso 'recommended individuals to represent Seborga in India' some of whom had been appointed by the micronation. Westarctica, which claims to be a non-profit organisation working towards the cause of preserving the Antarctic ice sheet, confirmed that Jain was given the honorary title of 'Consul to India' after he made a donation in 2016. However, he violated protocol by calling his residence an embassy and printing unauthorised materials like diplomatic number plates and passports, according to a statement. 'He was indefinitely suspended,' the group said in a statement. Ladonia, another micronation, which claims to provide a cultural identity for people who believe in free speech and artistic expression and has clear boundaries but mostly 'non-resident' citizens denied any ties with Jain. forged documents to claim he was its Ambassador to India and harassed officials after they refused to recognize him. In a detailed response to questions asked by The Indian Express, Ladonia's Press Officer, Julia Andersson, said Jain became a 'symbolic citizen' on November 12, 2016, and had 'purchased' an honorary barony title. The micronation alleged that in November 2017, Jain had forged a certificate falsely claiming to be Ladonia's Ambassador to India, backdating it to September 15, 2016, in an attempt to predate the symbolic appointment of another Indian individual and had been 'harrassing' its officials by spamming them with texts and mails requesting for Ladonian paraphernalia, a request that was denied by the micronation. According to STF and police officials, Jain's network spanned multiple countries. He alleegdly maintained 11 bank accounts in the UK, UAE, Mauritius, and India; set up shell firms like Island General Trading Co. LLC (Dubai), East India Company UK Ltd and State Trading Corporation Ltd (UK); claimed to help clients get international contracts or jobs abroad; charged hefty 'brokerage'and used these fake diplomatic affiliations that he had purchased to appear credible enough to seek business clients. Police sources said that he made over 30 trips to the UAE alone and visited over 40 countries in the past decade to build a globe-trotting con operation. Police are currently trying to determine the number of people defrauded. An FIR (No. 671/2025) has been registered at Kavi Nagar police station under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to forgery, impersonation, and cheating. Jain was remanded to judicial custody on July 23, where the STF seeked custodial remand to trace the full extent of his hawala network. Officials also said that the Income Tax Department would be informed about the seized cash and foreign currency. Further investigation is on into his multiple PAN cards, international accounts, and fake documentation.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bail pleas rejected in QR code scam case
Kochi: High court has dismissed the pre-arrest bail pleas of Vineetha and Radhu, natives of Thiruvananthapuram, who are accused in a case involving the alleged theft of Rs 69 lakh from a shop owned by Diya Krishnan, daughter of actor-turned-politician G Krishnakumar. The bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas rejected the petition based on the police report, which, after examining the petitioners' bank account details, indicated that there was a prima facie case against them. The case arose from the allegation that the petitioners, who were employees at Diya's shop at Kowdiar in Thiruvananthapuram, committed the theft by replacing the shop's QR code scanner. According to the complaint, the alleged fraud began in July 2024 and came to light only during an audit conducted last month. Based on Diya's complaint, the police registered a case against Vineetha, Radhu and Divya. Vineetha and Radhu subsequently approached HC seeking anticipatory bail.
