The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has given a final chance to the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Commissioner of Police (CP) to file a status report detailing the action it had taken over all the FIRs filed in connection with the police lathicharge on Congress workers at a party rally in Bhubaneswar in September 2012.
In its order passed last week, the NHRC has directed to issue reminder to the twin city CP to submit the report within six weeks positively. “Failing which, the NHRC shall be constrained to issue coercive process under section 13 of Human Rights Act of 1993,” the NHRC order reaching here said.
It may be mentioned that the NHRC, in the meantime, had issued two notices to the CP and several reminders were also sent. But the CP failed to respond to the notices and reminders, following which the ultimatum was issued last week.
Advocate Nishikant Mishra of the Odisha High Court has approached the NHRC stating that the State police acting at the behest of their bosses of the ruling BJD had brutally assaulted innocent Congress workers on September 6, 2012 in Bhubaneswar without any provocation. “Even as the Congress leaders were addressing the gathering from the podium, the police made lathicharge, directed water cannons and fired rubber bullets at the gathering with an ulterior motive to disrupt the peaceful rally,” Mishra has mentioned in his complaint.
The complaint had also alleged that at least a hundred Congress workers were injured in the police action. Even some mediapersons were not spared, Mishra has maintained, adding that the police arrested at least 35 Congress workers on the charges of attacking the police.
Mishra has also sought a direction to the State Government to pay a damage of `50,000 to each injured Congress worker.