Plea in Orissa High Court seeks audit of Covid deaths

By LE Desk

Cuttack, June 20, 2021: A petition has been filed in the Orissa High Court seeking a high-level independent audit of Covid deaths in the state. 

Along with records of all Covid-19 deaths in the state, the petition filed by senior advocate Nishikant Mishra also seeks details on Covid testing and vaccination in rural areas of Odisha.

In his petition, Nishikant has alleged discrepancies in the Covid fatality data provided by district-level authorities and the state government’s health department.

He has also cited media reports on the disparity in deaths between actual cremations performed in accordance with Covid protocol and the district administration’s tally, which was significantly lower, reported India Today.

Social activist Rabi Das told India Today that Covid-19 death audit should be conducted in Odisha, and claimed that several deaths in rural areas were not even being recorded.

“One thing is certain that more people have died than the government’s records indicate. Based on what I’ve heard from my village, it could be three to four times what the government records show,” said Rabi Das.