HC poser to govt on Italian tourist death

Cuttack, Jan 30 (PTI) The Orissa High Court has asked the state government to provide details of action taken on the issue of the death of an Italian tourist suffering from encephalitis. The High Court while hearing the PIL adjourned the matter till February 11. After perusing the enquiry report of the collector on the "controversial" death of the tourist, a division bench of Justices Indrajit Mohanti and Raghuvir Dash asked the state government to file its reply within two weeks. Earlier, as asked, the central division revenue commissioner had submitted the collector's enquiry report to the HC in a sealed cover. Similarly, the hospital superintendent had also submitted all medical documents of the tourist Sebastian Rosario Contiguglia to the court, which were opened on the day and perused. A city-based social organisation through its counsel Prabir Kumar Das had filed a PIL in the HC seeking an independent enquiry into the death of the 63-year-old foreign tourist, who was admitted to a hospital after suffering from encephalitis. The petition had alleged that the tourist died last month due to negligence in treatment and care. Based on media reports, the petitioner had alleged that the tourist was shifted to a general ward from the ICU on the day Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visited the ICU to meet an ailing senior party legislator. While in the general ward, the ailing tourist was not provided with an attendant, as a result he had fallen from the bed aggravating his condition, the petitioner had alleged. PTI COR SKN NIK SG