On the second day of the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) three-day camp court here, as many as 25 cases were heard by NHRC Members, including Chairperson Justice Hl Dattu, on Tuesday.
Justice Duttu directed the State Home Department to submit an action plan on awareness to be launched within three months in the backdrop of 140 killings due to suspected witchcraft in three years in the State.
Appearing before the Justice Dattu Bench, Crime Branch Special DG BK Sharma apprised the NHRC that the number of such killings reported in the State in 2014 stood at four while in 2015 the number rose to 58 and in 2016 it further soared to 78.
Home Secretary Asit Tripathy said, “The DG Crime submitted that in 2015-16 as many as 70 cases have been registered. The commission expressed their happiness that the enforcement is good here. The commission advised to launch an awareness campaign on witchcraft, blind beliefs and superstitions and asked to submit the action plan on the nature of awareness campaign within three months.”
Three Benches, one each by Justice Dattu, Justice D Murugesan and Justice SC Sinha, have been formed to hear nearly 140 cases during the open hearing at the camp. On the first day, 107 cases had been heard and many of them were disposed of with commission members ordering financial assistance. On the valedictory day on Wednesday, eight cases are listed for hearing.