New Delhi, April 28th, 2011

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that goons abducted a 26 year old youth from inside a police chowki in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. A notice has been issued to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh to submit a report in the matter to the Commission within four weeks.

According to the media report carried on the 26th April, 2011, one Hemchand Sharma was on his way home in Jaitpur, on the Delhi-Noida border, from Sector 164 in the night of 25th April, 2011. He saw a group of people beating someone on the express way. The victim accidentally fell on Hemchand's motorcycle and the attackers thought that Hemchand had come to help their victim. While their first victim fled in the ensuing melee, the miscreants began beating Hemchand.

He tried to flee, but was chased by the goons in their Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV and even shot at twice. Luckily, he escaped the bullets. Finding no escape, he drove his motorcycle into a police chowki under Sector 39 Police Station of Noida and cried for help, but to no avail. The policemen present at the chowki refused to help the youth.

Then he came out running on the street shouting for help. The men caught him and sped towards Ghaziabad and Meerut. However, after some time when they stopped at a liquor shop, he managed to escape and boarded a bus to Rishikesh from where his family brought him back.

The report also alleged that the policemen also did not take note of Hemchand's abandoned motorcycle in the chowki premises for two days after the incident.

Considering the matter on the 27th April, 2011, the Commission observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of dereliction of duty on the part of the police officials resulting in violation of human rights of Hemchand Sharma.

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