New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) Friday granted two weeks time to a petitioner to file rejoinder in a contempt petition filed against the state government for not giving additional compensation to the victims of 2007 Kandhamal riots.
A two-judge bench of Justices Uday Umesh Lalit and R Subhash Reddy adjourned the matter for two weeks after the counsel appearing for petitioner Archbishop John Baruwa sought time to file the rejoinder in response to the affidavit filed by the state government in the SC.
Earlier, the state government had filed an affidavit in the court mentioning that they are disbursing additional compensation to the victims. As many as 353 victims are yet to be paid additional compensation, the government submitted to the court and stated that the apex court order dated August 2, 2016 relates to the Kandhamal riots occurred in 2008 and does not relate to the violence which occurred in December 2007.
However, the petitioner has pleaded in the court that the apex court order of 2016 was for the riots across Odisha and urged the SC to direct state government to give additional compensation to the victims of 2007 riots.
Kandhamal riots: Petitioner told to file rejoinder in 2 weeks
