Rice mill death case (Odisha): NHRC orders Rs 15 lakh compensation for victim’s kin

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday directed the Odisha government to pay a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the family of 12-year-old Pratyush Bhaena who died after falling into a heap of hot ash allegedly dumped by Kaleswar rice mill in Bargarh district in February this year.

The commission held the state ‘vicariously liable’ for the death and observed that the amount of Rs 1.2 lakh already paid to the victim’s family was ‘meagre and cannot be said to be fair and reasonable under provisions of the law’.

It said, “The authorities concerned cannot wash away their hands simply by paying financial relief. The compensation must be just, fair and reasonable, keeping in view the age of the deceased and the loss suffered by the bereaved family.”

The NHRC directed the chief secretary of Odisha to ensure payment of Rs 15 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased after deducting the already paid Rs 1.2 lakh, and to submit proof of payment to the commission by January 3, 2026.

The NHRC order came after a complaint was filed by human rights activist Dillip Kumar Das of Kalahandi on April 13 seeking Rs 20 lakh compensation and legal action against the mill owner. Das alleged that the mill had been dumping hot ash outside its premises despite repeated warnings from villagers.

The commission took cognisance of the matter on July 10 and later examined it during its camp sitting at Bhubaneswar on July 21, where it found prima facie negligence on the part of the mill.

In its communication, the NHRC noted that the collector and district magistrate of Bargarh, in a letter dated September 13, had admitted that the boy’s death occurred due to fatal burns on account of hot ash dumped negligently by Kaleswar rice mill. The report also confirmed payment of Rs 20,000 from the district Red Cross fund and Rs 1 lakh from the chief minister’s relief fund to the boy’s father Anil Bhaena.

The commission, however, remarked that the compensation paid so far was grossly inadequate considering the victim’s young age and the family’s irreparable loss.

The tragic incident occurred on February 26 when Pratyush, a resident of Boipura village under Bheden police limits, accidentally fell into a smouldering heap of paddy husk waste dumped outside the rice mill. He was treated at VIMSAR, Burla and SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack for over a month but succumbed to his injuries on April 11.

This article has been republished from The New Indian Express.