NHRC sends notice to Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and SP, Salem, Tamil Nadu on HIV-positive widow issue

New Delhi November 27, 2007 The National Human Rights Commission has sent notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and SP, Salem, Tamil Nadu on a press report which said that "HIV+widow hacked to death in Tamil Nadu".

The report, which appeared in "The Times of India" on November 18, 2007, said that one Patmini w/o Rajendran, who had been diagnosed as HIV-positive, after six months from the death of her husband from AIDS, was found dead in a pool of blood at Karupur in Tamil Nadu's Salem district by her two step children when they returned home from the school. The report further stated that it was neither a case of robbery nor of sexual assault and the police suspected that she was hacked to death for being for HIV-positive.

Taking suo-motu cognizance of the press report, the Commission has said that it raises a serious issue of human rights violation of the victim. The Commission, after going through the press report has directed that the same may be forwarded to the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and SP, Salem, Tamil Nadu for a factual report within four weeks.
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