Child sacrifice: Govt. ordered to pay compensation

The Orissa Human Rights Commission directed the state government to pay the compensation of Rs 30,000 to the two tribals of Nabarangpur district whose minor children were allegedly killed by a local to propitiate the village goddess.

The shocking incident which shook the nation, occurred on September 2007, last year, when Sundarsingh Gond of Benas village killed Gudu, son of Manbondh Gond and Dablu, son of Kartik Gond and offered their heads, livers and lungs to the village goddess.

After his arrest, he had confessed the crime to the police saying, he did so to propitate the goddess to check misfortune in his family, commission sources said on Tuesday.

His belief that the village goddess was displeased with his family for which he lost his two–year old daughter who died of fever, led to the gruesome murder, police investigation said.

``The tragic sequel cannot be ignored by us as nobody`s concern,`` the commission said adding the social evil could only be removed by spread of education and public awareness.

``The agony through which the children`s parents must have gone can well be understood. But life of human beings cannot be quantified by money,`` it said while asking the state government to pay the compensation under section 18(a)(i) of the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993.

The commission has asked the government to pay the compensation by April 30