SC orders additional compensation to Kandhamal violence victims

New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered additional compensation to the victims and families who have suffered loss of life, injuries and damage to property during the 2007-2008 anti-Christian violence in Odisha's Kandhamal district.

The bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit ordered additional compensation, holding that what was paid to the victims of the violence was not adequate.

The court verdict pronounced by Justice Lalit came on a petition by Archbishop Rachel Cheenath, who had sought direction to the Odisha government to extend relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the anti-Christian violence of December 2007 and August 2008 in Kandhamal.

Besides Archbishop Cheenath, other petitioners organisations - Catholic Bishop Conference of India, Women's International League for Freedom and Peace, Initiative for Justice, Peace and Human Rights had contended that the compensation given to the victims was inadequate and the Odisha government had employed an arbitrary methodology in selecting recipients and assessing the damage of private and public property.

Archbishop Cheenath had also sought restoration of churches damaged during the violence targeted at Christians.