SFI wants compensation for Puri victims

Updated on: Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Kalyani: The SFI of Kalyani Government Engineering College in Nadia has demanded Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the three students who drowned at Puri on Saturday and Rs 50,000 each for the three who were rescued.

“If we receive any such demand in writing, we will send it to the concerned authority,” assured principal K K Chakraborty.

Anup Biswas, the general secretary of SFI said: “We will submit a petition to the principal and the higher education department on Tuesday. We demand compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the victims’ families and Rs 50,000 for the three students who were rescued. They also should get the treatment costs they incurred in Puri.”

Local Trinamool sources alleged that the Puri trip was organized by SFI — a claim that was denied by the latter.

About 102 students had reached Puri on Thursday. The trip was organized by the students themselves. Though college authorities were aware of the trip, they apparently had no direct involvement. A group of another hundred students had gone to Digha on the same day.

Around 40 students went to bathe in the sea on Saturday. Six were washed away and three rescued by the Nuliyas, a local fishing community. The Nuliyas were allegedly told that three students were still missing only two hours later.

The bodies of Sayan Barik and Sanjay Singh were found lying on the beach after some time. Arindam Halder’s body was found on the beach on Sunday morning. All the students were called back after the accident.

Earlier, Arindam Halder’s family had alleged that Arindam was probably taken into the sea by force by students who regularly ragged him. The family said Arindam was too scared of water and was unlikely to venture into the sea by himself. The students’ union, however, has rubbished this allegation.

SFI wants compensation for Puri victims

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