New Delhi, June 15th, 2012

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Haryana Government to pay within eight weeks a sum of Rs. 5 Lakhs each to the three victims of false murder charges. A compliance report along with proof of payment within the same period has been sought from the State Chief Secretary.

The Commission in its order has said that it is a peculiar case of violation of human rights of three innocent victims, namely, Inder, Jal Singh and Laxmi, who were imprisoned for more than two months after they were falsely accused of the murder of Laxmi's husband Sohan Lal.

Enquiries revealed that Sohan Lal had faked his murder by planting his identity card and PAN card in the dead body of an unknown drunkard, who was killed and defaced by him with the help of his friends.

On the 22nd April, 2011, a decomposed body was recovered from the Palwal canal which was identified as that of Sohan Lal by his father and brother. Subsequently, his wife along with her brother Jal Singh and her alleged lover's father Inder Singh were arrested on murder charges. In the mean time, Sohan Lal had eloped with his minor sister-in-law and was apprehended from Okhla by the Delhi police.

The Commission had moved in the matter suo motu taking cognizance of a media report carried on 12th June, 2011. It was reported that Sohan Lal, a transport agent from Hodal in Haryana suspected his wife of having an illicit affair with another person. He hatched his murder conspiracy to teach his wife a lesson.

The Commission has said no amount of monetary compensation is sufficient to mitigate the trauma and agony suffered by the three innocent persons on account of the criminal case filed against them and also for their incarceration in jail for more than two months. They could be released on the 16th June, 2011 when it was found that Sohan Lal was alive and was in Tihar Jail.

It is a serious violation of human rights and the Commission is of the view that the State should pay compensation to them. It is evident that they suffered this agony because of the faulty investigation initiated by the Haryana police.

The Commission has asked the DGP of the State to submit the status of the criminal case filed against Sohan Lal and others within six weeks.

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