Important Cases

As the year came to a close, the Commission which has been dealing with a number of cases sent notices to different authorities following media reports. The important cases where the Commission intervened in the month of December are:-

q The Commission asked the Chief Secretary, Delhi Government for his comments on 13 juveniles being lodged in Tihar Jail along with hardened criminals instead of observation home. The Commission also took note of the report which said that the capital has just two observation and special homes which are overcrowded.
q The Commission issued notice to Police Commissioner, Nasik on the death of a dalit youth who was beaten up by mob. The report said the incident took place during protest in November, against vendalisation of a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
q The Commission asked for comments from Chief Secretary and DGP, West Bengal on the reported death of a newborn as the cops grilled the mother in Howrah Police Station. The report had said that new born died of hunger and cold as the policeman turned a deaf ear and continued to grill the mother who was reportedly mentally challenged.
q The Commission sent notice to Chairman, Railway Board on the accident in Bihar where an over bridge fell on a train, killing 37 people. The report had said that a part of the bridge had been dismantled by the railways but the trains were allowed to ply beneath it in violation of railway safety norms. The report had also highlighted that the bridge which had developed cracks three years ago, was declared totally unsafe way back in 1962.
q The Commission asked for factual report from District Collector, Ranchi on a news report which said juveniles share remand home with rapists and dacoits. The report revealed that out of 239 inmates of Ranchi Child Remand Home, 130 were below 14 years of age and are sharing the home with those committing heinous crime.
q The Commission sought a report from DGP, Madhya Pradesh on a newspaper report which said that a dalit girl was burnt alive by her rapist as she refused to drop rape charge against him. The girl had been allegedly raped in July and the matter was pending in the Court in Hoshangabad, where she was to appear in a month.
q The Commission took serious note of a report which said that five HIV positive children were thrown out of their school in Kottayam in Kerala. It asked the Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Children Education to look into the matter and send a factual report in two weeks.
q The Commission sent notices to the Secretary, Health, Medical & Family Welfare and Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj and Rural Water Supply, Government of Andhra Pradesh on a report highlighting the condition of tribals in villages of Hakeerpet Mandal, Vishakhapatnam. The report highlighted that the tribals living in the villages of this Mandal were suffering from health ailment. The villages have no medical help near by and also do not have access to water, the report added.
q The Commission issued notice to the District Collector, Mysore, Karnataka on the plight of eight dalit families who were ostracized in a village in the district. The report had said that these families were denied access to water, hospital, sanitation, shops and other facilities as they refused to obey the orders of the upper caste.
q Taking note of a report which said that at least 76 army men have been punished for human rights violation, the Commission asked the Defence Secretary and the Chief Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir to give details about the ex-gratia relief if any awarded to the victims or next of kin of the victims affected by human rights violation by armed forces personnel in J & K.
q The Commission also asked for comments from the Chief Secretary and DGP, Haryana on a report which said that three prisoners were fired at by anti-social elements in Gurgaon while on way to a Court at Jaipur. The firing killed two of the prisoners.

***