Probe says woman did not die of hunger, had ₹2,375 in bank

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Every death is painful but politics over the dead is unwarranted. Facts need to be verified before arriving at any conclusion. We are pained by the death but report makes it clear she did not die of hunger. RAGHUBAR DAS, Jharkhand CM

RANCHI/DHANBAD: Questioning the starvation death theory, a specially constituted probe panel has found that Savitri Devi in Magargaddi village under Dumri block of Giridih district did not die of starvation as was being alleged, and she had a bank account with ₹2,375 as current balance.

The report states the 65-yearold was a beneficiary of the government’s old age pension scheme, and ₹1,800 was last transferred in her account in April. It said she was on her ‘death bed’ and suffering from ‘haematoma’.

“The woman was treated for the disease at RIMS in January. The doctors who were part of the team have said in the report that this brain ailment at times turns fatal. The report underlined that the woman was on death bed for a few days and the family members were aware about her condition. Her children and brother-in-law who worked outside the state were, therefore, beside her for the past few days,” said Giridih deputy commissioner Manoj Kumar, who submitted the report with the chief minister’s office on Tuesday. Kumar said while it was a fact that the woman did not have a ration card, she was one of the registered beneficiaries under the old age pension scheme.

“I have ordered the district supply officer to begin a separate probe about the lack of ration card. But according to the probe report, ₹1,800 was credited under the scheme in the deceased’s account in April, which currently has an overall balance of ₹2,375. There is a history of transactions in the previous months but the money was not withdrawn last month,” Kumar added.

The district administration team led by additional collector Ashok Kumar Sah was probing the incident following instructions from CM Raghubar Das on Monday. The DC said the report also has statements of Savitri’s brother-in-law Bholnath Mahto, who lives in the same house, and a few women in the neighbourhood who said they were serving the deceased with “food of her choice, as is the custom in case of a person on death bed”.

Das hit out at opposition parties for targeting the government over the issue. “Every death is painful but politics over the dead is unwarranted. Facts need to be verified before arriving at any conclusion. We are pained by the death of Savitri Devi but the probe report makes it clear she did not die of hunger,” he said.

All opposition parties on Monday had lambasted the state government over the alleged death.

JMM legislator from Dumri, Jagannath Mahto, who visited the family on Monday, held the state government responsible for the death and described the report as an eyewash. “Had money of old age pension scheme been in bank account of Savitri Devi, family members would not have demanded rice from their neighbours,” said Mahto. He added it is an official fact that the victim’s family had no ration card. “Administration and government are trying to cover the incident with false fact and figures. But I would raise the matter in assembly as it is an inhuman incident,” he added.