Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has issued a letter to secretary of the social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities (SSEPD) department to submit a compliance report of its earlier order issued on Nov 24 last year. In that order, OHRC directed a Bhubaneswar-based residential school for deaf and dumb children to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation over the 2019 death of a 15-year-old student.The commission pointed out the institution’s negligence in providing timely medical care. Tusar Kanta Mahanta filed the case with the commission in 2020. The victim, a Class VI student from a school at Khandagiri here, fell ill on Jan 17, 2019, complaining of dysentery and vomiting. The school authorities claimed he was taken to the Capital Hospital in the morning and later again in the afternoon when his condition worsened. He was declared dead at the hospital around 4 pm on that day.However, after examining hospital records and testimony from the Capital Hospital director, the OHRC found no evidence that the child was taken for treatment in the morning, contradicting the school’s claims. The commission rejected the OPD prescription produced by the school, terming it doubtful and unauthenticated.While doctors confirmed that the boy suffered from a congenital heart defect and ruled out medical negligence by the hospital, the commission observed lapses by the residential school, noting that timely medical intervention could have altered the outcome. The physically-challenged child from Keonjhar district was studying there since 2011.Holding the school solely responsible, the OHRC in its Nov 24, 2025, order recommended compensation of Rs 5 lakh to be paid by the school to the boy’s father within two months. But the school did not pay the amount within the timeline. The order has been forwarded to the state govt departments concerned for compliance within two months.After getting the letter from the OHRC, SSEPD department on Thursday asked Khurda district collector to enquire into the matter and verify whether the compensation amount has been paid by the school authorities to kid’s father. It also asked the collector to furnish an action taken report at the earliest for submission to the OHRC. Following this direction, Khurda collector’s office has issued a letter to authorities of the concerned school to pay the compensation amount and submit the acknowledgement receipt, said an official from Khurda collectorate on Friday.