New Delhi, Aug 2: The Supreme Court has today ordered the Odisha Government for providing additional compensation to the Kandhamal victims of the 2008 communal riots as the compensation amount been paid earlier seemed ‘inadequate’. This order of payment was given by Chief Justice, T.S. Thakur and Justice, Uday Umesh Lalit. The court verdict given by Justice, Lalit was provided to the government officials on a petition by Archbishop, Raphael Cheenath.
Notably, on Aug 23, 2008 communal riots broke out in Kandhamal district and also in other parts of the state after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four of his associates at his Jalespeta Ashram. The war which lasted for at least for a month resulted in the death of 38 approximately, most of them being Christians. The Sangh Parivar alleged that the Christians of the Christian community were the culprits behind the murder of swami Saraswati. But later it came out in the open that it was the Maoists who were behind the crime justifying their act by saying that he was punished for his deed of separting people on the basis of religious aspects.
