NHRC issues show-cause notice to Bihar and UP Governments

The Commission today took suo-motu cognizance of the news item "Bihar Minister turns sadist – Drivers nails plucked out, forced to drink urine", which had appeared in today’s Hindustan Times. In view of the fact that a criminal case had been registered against the Bihar Minster of State for Co-operation for the alleged illegal detention and torture of the truck driver, Deenanath Baitha and cleaner Karu Ram, the Commission has issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Bihar to intimate the progress in the investigation of the said case and also to show-cause as to why "immediate interim relief" by way of monetary compensation be not granted to the two victims directing the Government of Bihar to pay that amount. The Commission has called for the response from the Bihar Government within two weeks time. The Commission today issued notice to the UP Government also asking them to show-cause as to why monetary compensation be not granted to the next of kin of Shri Vijay Kumar Ekka, a key witness in a Christina Priest murder case in Mathura. The State Government had given to two weeks time to respond. Meanwhile, the Commission is yet to receive reports from all States and Union Territories in connection with attacks on Christians. The Commission had earlier taken suo-motu cognizance of several incidents wherein some persons of the Christian faith had been assaulted and even killed in different parts of the country. On 22 June 2000, the Commission had issued notice to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, calling for reports in two weeks on the measures taken by them in this behalf and their plan of action to meet the situation. None of the Governments had responded. The Commission thus issued a reminder to all of them today and has asked them to comply with the Commission’s directions within a fortnight.