Suo Motu Cognizance

The Commission took suo motu cognizance in 13 cases of alleged human rights violations reported by media during June, 2016 and issued notices to the concerned authorities for reports. Summaries of some of the cases are as follows:
Botched up cataract surgery
(Case No. 646/36/2/2016)
The media reported, on the 7th July, 2016, that in Hyderabad, 7 persons lost an eye each after botched up cataract surgery at the government run Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. Reportedly, saline solution administered during the operation was infected. According to the media report, the hospital authorities tried to hush up the incident. The patients were never told what went wrong with their surgery.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news item indicate towards the violation of right to health of the patients. Accordingly, a notice has been issued to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Govt. of Telangana, calling for detailed reports in the matter.
Electrocution resulting in amputation of a girl's hands
(Case No. 27141/24/30/2016)
The media reported that on the 7th July, 2016 both the hands of a ten year old girl had to be amputated at New Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital following severe burn injuries due to electric shock from a high voltage line over the roof of her house in village Mirzapur of Rabupura area of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The incident happened, when she accidently touched the 11 KV line while playing with other children.
The Commission has noted that in the reported incident, the State administration as well as the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited cannot escape their responsibility for not ensuring that such a high voltage line should not have passed through the residential areas at a height that even a child could touch it. Such inaction by the concerned authorities amounts to violation of right to life and safety of the people.
Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the District Magistrate Gautam Budh Nagar and the Chairman Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited calling for a report in a matter. They are also expected to inform about the steps being taken to avoid such incidents in the future.
Injuries and casualties in clashes in Kashmir Valley
(Case No. 102/9/13/2016)
The media reported about numerous casualties and injuries in the clashes between the protestors and the security forces after the killing of some alleged terrorists in the Valley in Jammu & Kashmir on the 8th July, 2016. Expressing its utmost concern over the developments, the Commission, on the 19th July, 2016, issued notices to the Union Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary, Government of Jammu & Kashmir calling for reports in the matter.
Beating of Dalits by cow vigilantes and violent protest over the incident
(Case No. 709/6/0/2016)
The media reported that on the 11th July, 2016 four Dalit were severely beaten up by some persons for allegedly possessing beef in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. Subsequently, the protest by the Dalits against the incident triggered violence in different parts of the State. Roads were blocked; a policeman was killed and the State transport buses were torched. Many persons reportedly tried to commit even suicide as a protest. Sixteen of the perpetrators, alleged to have been involved in the beating of the four Dalits were reported to have been arrested. The Commission on the 21st July, 2016 issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat, calling for a report.



33 juveniles escape from an Observation Home
(Case No. 1501/22/13/2016)
The media reported on the 12th July, 2016 about the escape of 33 boys from a government run Observation Home for Boys and Girls at Kellys, Chennai, Tamil Nadu on the 11th July, 2016. The police managed to find and bring back 26 of them while 7 others were yet to be traced. Reportedly, the Home, maintained and guarded by the Social Defence Department of the State, is over-crowded and lacked in the basic facilities for which the inmates had been protesting. The Commission has observed that the children, who are in the custody of the state, are required to be handled sensibly so that they do not become criminals in future. The State is duty bound to ensure proper facilities and safety of the inmates in the government run Homes. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme, Government of Tamil Nadu calling for a report in the matter.
Gang rape victim assaulted again by the same persons
(Case No. 4002/7/17/2016-WC)
The media reported that on the 15th July, 2016 in Rohtak, Haryana, a girl was again gang raped by the same five persons, who had sexually assaulted her three years back in Bhiwani in 2013. Two of them were out on bail in the earlier case and pressurizing the family of the victim for an out of court settlement of the case. Reportedly, they abducted 21 years old from near her college, where she is pursing master's degree. After the sexual assault, she was left to die in an unconscious state in some bushes when she was seen by a passerby and taken to a hospital. Allegedly, the victim and her family did not get any security. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Haryana calling for reports in the incident.
Delayed police action in saving two boys from mob thrashing
(Case No. 685/1/6/2016-WC)
The media reported that on the 17th July, 2016, two boys were tied to a tree and assaulted with bricks and cricket bats by an unruly village mob suspecting their hand in the mysterious death of a 19 year old girl in Mohammadiya Palem of Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. The mob continued to beat the boys even in the presence of police. The police personnel, instead of rushing them to a nearby hospital, kept them questioning for three hours without giving water and medical help. As a result one boy succumbed to injuries. The Commission has observed that the reported action by police indicates their insensible mindset. Their priority, in such a case, should have been to save the victims from the mob fury. Accordingly, the Commission has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh calling for a report in the matter.
Pathetic health care facilities in a district hospital
(Case No. 1563/12/12/2016)
On the 19th July, 2016, the media reported that in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, the medical facilities are in such a bad shape that out of 68 posts of senior doctors, only 16 are filled in the District Hospital. It does not have Intensive Care Unit. Patients are referred to Jabalpur Medical College or Sagar, which are over 100 Km and 75 Km away respectively from the district headquarter. They are usually told that there are no ambulances and many end up covering the long distance on their own. There are not many private hospitals in Damoh either. On the 11th June, 2016, the District Collector found himself helpless when he could not take his ailing mother timely to Jabalpur for treatment and eventually lost her. He reportedly said, "The system is faulty and I am as much responsible for it as others." The Commission has issued a notice to the Principal Secretary, Department of Public Health & Family Welfare of the State government, calling for a report in the matter.

Non functional lifts in GPO
(Case No. 375/11/12/2016)
The media reported on the 21st July, 2016 that non-functional lifts in the General Post Office (GPO), Thiruvananthapuram have been creating hardships for the employees as well as the general public for several months now but to no avail. Reportedly, the GPO complex is a seven storeyed building and there are employees, who are physically handicapped and heart patients. The employees of the GPO are, reportedly, on strike in protest against the failure of the authorities in getting the lifts functional. A notice has been issued to the Post Master General, Kerala calling for a report in the matter.
Deaths in Government hospital due to power failure
(Case No. 675/36/2/2016)
The media reported on the 24th July, 2016 that 21 patients died in a single day at the Government run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, Telengana due to power failure on the 22nd July, 2016. Although, there were four generators as standby, but these developed snags and could not be used when power lines were later cut off to find the cause of tripping. A notice has been issued to the Principal Secretary, Department of Medical Health & the Family Welfare, Government of Telengana calling for a report in the matter. The Commission has also asked to inform about the steps taken regarding relief granted to the affected families.
The Commission on the basis of the media report also noted that in all such sensitive places and particularly hospitals, there should be regular/periodical drill to insure that people managed to work on alternative methods/systems in case of power failure. Before setting out to switch off even the generators to rectify a technical snag, the doctors, paramedical staff and attendants should have been alerted.
Recovery of huge quantity of toffees having drugs
(Case No. 1502/22/13/2016)
The media reported that a huge quantity of toffees having drugs was seized from a godown at Kandasamy layout in Villupuram in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A huge quantity of such toffees was also found abandoned near a burial ground in Kovilpatti area. A few days back, a school boy had to be admitted to a hospital after consuming drug chocolates which he purchased from a shop in RK Nagar area in Chennai. The Commission has observed that the menace, as reported in the newspaper, is a serious threat to the life and safety of the younger generation, mainly the students and teenagers, who can be easily lured by the anti-social elements. Seizure of such a large quantity of drug chocolates in the area also indicates the laxity on the part of the department concerned. Accordingly, it has issued a notices to the District Collector, Chennai calling for a report in the matter. He has been asked to inform about the steps being taken to deal with the situation.
Sale of contraband substance to children
(Case No. 3601/30/2/2016)
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that the police delayed taking action in the incident involving the death of a 14-year old boy, Rajat Menon in a scuffle with two paan masala sellers in Mayur Vihar, East Delhi on the 29th July, 2016. Reportedly, the two pan sellers sold marijuana to many people in the locality and a complaint about their misbehavior made to the police earlier also. Allegedly, the police are in connivance with the sellers and are being given a cut from the profit they make. The paan masala sellers even had molested the local women but police did not register the case.
The Commission has observed that the contents of media reports, if true, raise serious issues of violation of Right to Life and Right to Health in the wake of contraband substances being supplied by the local shops without any preventive and prohibitive action by the police. The allegation that the police did not take immediate action in the matter, if true, violates the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of India. The District Administration and the police are answerable for the same. Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Commission of Police, Delhi and Deputy Commissioner, District East, Delhi calling for reports.
Hooch tragedy
(Case No. 27144/24/22/2016)
The media reported that more than 26 people had died and several others were critical after consuming spurious liquor in Etah and Farukhabad Districts of Uttar Pradesh. A huge quantity of illicit liquor and its raw material had been recovered from various places in Bareilly, Bijnor, Etah, Kanpur Dehat, Allahabad, Mau, Kushinagar and Sonbhadra districts. Reportedly, five Government employees including three from the State Excise Department had been suspended following the incident.
Expressing concern over the loss of life due to consumption of spurious liquor, the Commission has observed that the reported suspensions of some public servants in the matter, point towards negligence on the part of the official machinery, which resulted in the tragedy. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Uttar Pradesh calling for reports in the matter.