New Delhi, 26 July 2005
The National Human Rights Commission has strongly recommended to the Government of Haryana to take effective steps to get an independent investigation preferably by the CBI commenced into the reported brutal assault by the Haryana police on agitating workers of the Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, which took place at Gurgaon yesterday. It has asked the Chief Secretary, Haryana to send an action taken report in this regard to the Commission within 10 days. The NHRC is of the opinion that in order to instill public confidence in the rule of law an impartial investigation into the police assaults and the related incidents by an agency independent of the State is called for.
It has, at the same time, appealed to all concerned to maintain peace and calm so that the investigation can be held fairly, impartially and expeditiously.
The disturbing news item about the alleged brutal assault by the Haryana Police at Gurgaon on the agitating workers of Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) on Monday, i.e. 25 July 2005 was widely publicized both by the print and electronic media. It was alleged that trouble broke out when police in the Civil Lines area confronted the workers, staging a protest march. On being held back, the workers attacked the police and injured a Deputy Superintendent of Police and set on fire the vehicle of the SDM. As a consequence, the police resorted to retaliatory violence. It was also reported that the policemen were not so much interested in dispersing the mob, as to thrash the workers black and blue by encircling them from all sides.
The Commission voiced its deep concern at the events, which took place in Gurgaon. The issue before us, it stated is of grave concern as it affects human rights of a large number of persons belonging to vulnerable section of the society - industrial workers. Whether or not the police assault on 25 July 2005 at Gurgaon was justified or whether more force than was necessary was used can only be found out by conducting an investigation through an agency independent of the State machinery, it observed.