NHRC notice to the Bihar Government over the reported beating of an elderly teacher by police personnel in Kaimur district after he fell down on road with his bicycle causing a traffic jam

New Delhi, 24th January, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a 70 years old man was publicly beaten up by two female police personnel with batons in Kaimur district of Bihar on 20th January, 2023. The victim has been teaching for the last years in a private school and was on his way to school when his cycle skidded and he fell on the road causing a traffic jam for a moment even as he was struggling to get up. This made both the police personnel engaged starting beating him in full public view.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report as well as a video of the incident appear to raise a serious issue of the right to life and dignity of the victim. The public servants purportedly exercised their power in excess and acted in a manner, which was reasonably not connected with the discharge of official duty. Public servants like them are required to be dealt with strictly and sensitized to handle such situations sensibly and with a humane approach.

Accordingly, the Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Bihar calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. The report should include the present status of the FIR registered against the responsible police personnel and departmental action taken or proposed to be taken against them. The Commission would also like to know about the present health status of the victim. The report must contain compensation, if any, paid to him.

The Commission has further observed that the trauma of road accidents generally makes the persons involved in it, numb and nervous for a moment. In such situations, it becomes a moral duty of the citizens as well as police personnel present on the spot to help the victims instead of shouting and beating them.

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