Cuttack, Jan. 7: Orissa High Court has decided to consider whether the state government is liable to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the death of a convict inside Choudwar circle jail only after payment of an interim relief to his old parents.

The court said it would hear the arguments of the state counsel on January 19. It expects submission of an affidavit by the government stating the particulars of the interim relief by then.

The case of aged parents seeking compensation for their 43-year-old convict son went before the division bench of justices I.M. Qudussi and B.P. Ray yesterday with the submission of an affidavit by the government in response to a notice issued earlier by the court in August last year.

Justice Qudussi and Justice Ray, however, expressed dissatisfaction, as there was no mention of payment of any interim relief.

Krushna Chandra Behera of Nurukesabarini village in Badamba area of Cuttack district was undergoing life sentence following conviction in a dowry death case in 2003. He died on June 10 after another mentally unstable convict stabbed him inside the prison.

Father Chaityanya Behera and mother Labani had later filed the petition alleging that their son was murdered inside the prison because of negligence of the jail authorities.

The parents had demanded social security in the form of Rs 10 lakh compensation as Krushna was their only son and earning member.