Odisha Child Welfare Committee member beaten to death at her home

While no exact reason for the brutal murder was known immediately, it is suspected to be the fallout of a previous enmity or revenge

Published on: Oct 12, 2023, 13:09:36 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A woman member of the Child Welfare Committee of Odisha’s Ganjam district was allegedly beaten to death at her home on Wednesday evening, police said.

The woman was associated with several NGOs and involved in the welfare of kids affected with AIDS. (Representative Image)

While no exact reason for the brutal murder was known immediately, it is suspected to be the fallout of a previous enmity or revenge. Police have detained the driver of the deceased on suspicion, people familiar with the matter said.

Police officials in Berhampur town said the deceased, identified as Soudamini Rath, had come home on Wednesday evening after attending a training session in Bhubaneswar for three days. “She was speaking to someone when she was attacked. The person on the other end then called up police following which our officials went to her house under Gosaninuagaon police station. She was hit with a blunt object from behind which resulted in her death,” said town police subdivisional police officer Rajib Lochan Panda.

Rath was associated with several NGOs and worked for the welfare of kids. She was involved in the welfare of kids affected with AIDS.

The Child Welfare Committees formed under Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act are the final authorities in disposing of cases relating to protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of the children. They take cognizance of and receive children produced before them and reach out to such children in need of care and protection who are not in a position to be produced before the Committee. They recommend ‘fit institutions’ to the State Government for the care and protection of children and declare a child legally free for adoption.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More