Unidentified body draws fake relatives for compensation

Guwahati, May 30 (UNI) It is a case of 'making a kill over the killings' in Asom.

The death of a person in the hands of insurgents on occasions lead to multiple claims over compensation money by 'family members' putting the administration in a fix.

A person gasping for breath may not attract any help, but the body of a person killed by insurgents is sure to lure multiple claimants, especially in Asom, given the large sum of money paid as compensation to the next of kin.

This dark angle of a tragedy was once again exposed in Saturday's Athagon blast in the city, which left six dead, when more than one claimants, came up for an unidentified body.

While the bodies of four of the killed were identified the same day, the fifth victim was identified by his relatives from Nagaon the next day.

However, the identity of the sixth victim, a cycle-rickshaw puller whose head was severed from the body by the impact of the blast, could not be confirmed.

But the compensation of Rs three lakh announced by the state government and additional one lakh by the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTADC) leadership drew as many as four claimants of the body.

He might have been forgotten in life by his family because of which they are yet to learn of his death. But the money that his body is now worth is pulling many 'family members'.

A senior Kamrup district administration official, who is investigating the blast, said, ''More than one person came forward saying they were relatives of the deceased. But when we asked them to come back with proper identification documents, none returned.'' ''One person went to the extent of claiming that the dead person was from Motihari district of Bihar. But he also failed to show up when we demanded documents in support of his claim,'' he added.

A Police source informed that the body was finally identified as that of one Bipul, a resident of Athgaon gate No 5, though his native place is yet to be ascertained.

The problem of multiple claimants of the compensation money over the body of violence-victims is a common one for the police and district administration personnel in the state. Hence a stringent verification process has been put in place to ensure that the compensation lands in hands of the real kin of victims.

A senior police officer in Upper Asom informed that on occasions more than one close relative stake claim for compensation money especially when the victim is unmarried.

''Many families who have lost their sons in violence go to the extent of chasing away daughters-in-law so that they can claim the money,'' he added.

He said such incidents happen more in case of victims who hail from outside the state, making the verification process more difficult, with the humane angle involved in case of genuine claimants adding to the complication.

The officer said many cases of multiple claimants are still dragging on in courts, though the district administration was prompt in clearing the compensation immediately after verification was completed.

UNI