More than seven years after her minor son was allegedly murdered inside a tribal school hostel in Telangana, a deaf and mute widow has finally received a measure of relief, not from a criminal court, but from the Telangana Human Rights Commission (HRC)—which acknowledged the depth of her loss, neglect, and prolonged suffering.
On Friday, the Commission, headed by Justice Dr Shameem Akther, issued strong recommendations directing the state government to provide the grieving mother with a regular government job in the last-grade category, and to relax existing rules if necessary.
The Commission also ordered the payment of ₹5 lakh as compensation, describing the relief as essential to restoring her dignity and securing her family’s survival.
The HRC instructed that these recommendations be implemented within six months, with a compliance report submitted to the Commission.
A Child Killed Where He Was Supposed to Be Safe
The tragedy dates back to October 23, 2018, when the woman’s minor son was allegedly strangled and bludgeoned to death at the Government Tribal Residential Welfare School in Khammam.
According to the findings, the child was attacked by a schoolmate after he resisted an attempted sexual assault.
A report submitted to the HRC by the Khammam Commissioner of Police revealed alarming details.
The accused classmate reportedly had a known history of violent behaviour and was already a suspect in a separate murder case at the time of the incident.
Shockingly, the report noted that both the school principal and the hostel warden were aware of the student’s violent tendencies, yet failed to act.
The criminal case is still under trial, years after the child lost his life.
Institutional Negligence and Broken Systems
The Human Rights Commission held that there was gross negligence on the part of the Government Tribal Welfare Residential Hostel, Khammam, as well as supervising officials of the Tribal Welfare Department.
The Commission observed that this systemic failure directly contributed to the child’s death.
Following the incident, the school principal and hostel warden were suspended, but for the boy’s family, punitive action alone brought no relief.
A Family Destroyed, a Mother Left Alone
The tragedy did not end with the child’s murder. A few months later, the boy’s father—a daily wage labourer—passed away, leaving the mother alone to care for their young daughter and an elderly mother-in-law, without a stable source of income.
The Commission noted that despite the clear establishment of negligence, no meaningful assistance or adequate compensation had been extended to the family for years.
The mother survived on irregular wages, burdened by poverty, grief, and disability, while fighting for justice in silence.
A Humane Intervention
In its order, the HRC took special note of the woman’s extreme vulnerability—her disability, economic hardship, and sole responsibility for her dependents.
“Taking note of the vulnerable condition of the boy’s mother—who is deaf and mute, earning irregular wages, and solely caring for her daughter and aged mother-in-law—the Commission recommends that the government provide her with a regular government job at the lowest pay grade, and pay ₹5 lakh compensation,” the order stated.
Calling the relief a “just and humane” response, the Commission said the intervention was necessary to uphold human dignity and basic rights, especially when the State’s failure had shattered a family beyond repair.
For a mother who lost her child in a place meant to protect him, and whose voice was never heard, the decision marks a long-overdue acknowledgement of suffering—and a fragile step toward justice.
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