Suo moto cognizance

The Commission took suo motu cognizance in 08 cases of alleged human rights violations reported by media during February, 2015 and issued notices to the concerned authorities for reports. Summaries of some of these cases are as follows:
Rehabilitation of 220 rescued child labourers
(Case No. 88/36/2/2015-CL)
The media reported that in a search operation, in the recent past, police rescued around 220 child labourers, including girls from bangle making factories in the old city of Hyderabad, Telengana. The children aged between 12 to 16 years were brought from different places in Bihar to work for a pittance. Police has arrested at least 15 persons in this connection.
The Commission has observed that Child labour is prohibited and amounts to violation of human rights of victim children. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Commissioner of Police and District Magistrate, Hyderabad, Telengana calling for reports in the matter. It has also asked them to inform about the steps taken for the rehabilitation of the rescued children.
Placement agencies and human trafficking
(Case No. 1005/30/0/2015-WC)
The media reported that in Delhi surging demand for domestic help is fuelling a business that thrives on human trafficking by unregulated placement agencies. Hundreds of agencies are reportedly involved in the business of selling domestic workers.
Allegedly, there is no hold on the placement agencies which have emerged as the hubs and transit point for human trafficking. These are the root cause behind the exploitation of people, mainly women and children, from rural and tribal areas.
The Commission has issued a notice to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi calling for a report including the following points:
i) Number of placement agencies, registered or unregistered, functioning in Delhi;
ii) Steps taken to keep a check on placement agencies.
Attack on a social activist
(Case No. 530/13/14/2015)
The media reported that an eighty year old social activist, Shri Govind Pansare and his wife were shot at by some un-identified persons in Kolhapur, Maharashtra on the 16th February, 2015. Both of them had to undergo several surgeries and were battling for life. Shri Pansare was of late leading an antitoll movement in Kolhapur. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Maharashtra calling for reports.
Denial of compensation to families of 2731 dead farmers
(Case No. 382/13/0/2015)
The media reported that the families of 2731 farmers who committed suicide during the last four years in Maharashtra were not eligible to get even a paltry sum of Rs. 1 lakh as compensation under the Government rules because the deceased did not have a bank loan against the cultivation planned in that season or owned a piece of land. Activists had been demanding for an urgent review of the compensation system to strengthen the agrarian economy. The Commission has issued notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra calling for a report.
Closure of an NGO run school for poor kids
(Case No.578/30/10/2015)
The media reported that unable to fulfill the stringent RTE rules, Deepalaya, a school for poor kids run by an NGO since the last 22 years in Okhla, New Delhi had to be shut down. The school had more than 600 students up to class eighth at the time of its closure in 2014. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Secretary, Department of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi calling for reports.

Abduction and sexual assault of eight women workers
(Case No. 4192/24/62/2015-BL)
The media reported that a brick kiln owner, along with a contractor and three others, picked up the workers at a brick kiln in Village Dundai of District Rampur, Uttar Pradesh on the 19th January, 2015 and kept the men and women in separate rooms of a building and thereafter sexually assaulted eight women. The Commission has issued notices to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh calling for reports.
Attack on a Church
(Case No. 512/30/8/2015)
Taking suo motu cognizance of the media reports regarding the incident of breaking open the doors of St. Alphonsa's Church in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi and defiling of the place of worship and other sacred objects in the early hours of the 2nd February, 2015, the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Secretary, Union Home Ministry, Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi calling for detailed reports including the status of investigation into allegations of desecration of the sanctity of the Church.
Prior to issuing the notice, an NHRC delegation, led by Member, Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph visited the Church and observed that since the incident was likely to promote disharmony, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the ground of religion, the matter involved serious issues relating to violation of human rights.