Saptagiri ups the ante over Death of Woman in Rayagada
Ulaka also questioned whether the woman received adequate medical care during her incarceration, which he believes should be investigated.
TNI Bureau: Congress MP from Koraput District, Saptagiri Ulaka warns of massive agitation if Congress’ demands related to Sulabati Naik are met with. He lashed out at the Odisha Government, Police and Utkal Alumina company for the tragic death of the woman, who was jailed for 16 days despite being pregnant.
The woman died of post-delivery complications a day after release from the jail. Saptagiri demanded a fair probe into the incident and sought strong action against the people involved.
The Koraput MP demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for the bereaved family, permanent employment for the deceased’s husband and also said that the company and police must bear the complete responsibility of the newborn, who lost his mother soon after birth.
If these demands are met, Congress will launch a massive agitation, he warned.
“How could the police arrest a woman in an advanced stage of pregnancy, that too under attempt to murder charges? This needs to be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
Ulaka also questioned whether the woman received adequate medical care during her incarceration, which he believes should be investigated.
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“We will seek the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission and demand one crore in compensation for the bereaved family”, he added.
It’s pertinent to mention that Sulabati Naik, 30, a resident of Andrakanch village in Maikanch panchayat and the wife of a daily wage labourer, died on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.
Sulabati, who was nine months pregnant at that time, was among the 13 women arrested by police on December 26 last year for staging a peaceful demonstration demanding jobs in Utkal Alumina because they live on its outskirts.
She went into labour shortly after leaving the prison on Tuesday evening and was taken to the district headquarters hospital. The woman gave birth to a son on Wednesday night, and as her condition deteriorated, she was referred to the SLN Medical College and Hospital, about 70 kilometres from Andrakanch, according to her husband, Baidya Naik.
At around 1.30 a.m., the woman died on her way to the Koraput hospital. The infant is being monitored at the Rayagada hospital’s special newborn care unit.
According to her relative Tulsi Naik, the woman was remanded to jail custody after her bail was denied by a Kashipur court because police had charged her with IPC section 307 (attempt to murder), among other things.
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