NHRC has taken suo-motu cognizance of a media report in three matters

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo-motu cognizance of a media report in three matters and served notices to officials concerned on Friday.

In the first case, the NHRC taken suo motu cognizance that a Panchayat in Kanpur Dehat ordered around 150 girls in Tyonga Village to stop going to schools and colleges to save them from harassment. According to the media report, carried on the 21st September, 2014, the diktat from the Panchayat came on Friday, the 19th September, 2014, after some local goons harassed some girls while they were returning from a coaching institute.  When the girls resisted and raised an alarm, the goons not only threatened them with dire consequences but also thrashed a victim’s sibling. Although, the parents had allegedly informed the police about the harassment, but no action was taken. The residents, thereafter, staged a protest in front of the local police station. The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, rasied a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim girl students. Accordingly, notices have been issued to the DM and SSP of Kanpur Dehat, calling for reports within two weeks.

In another case, NHRC officials had issued notices to the DM and SSP of Jhansi, calling for reports within two weeks. They took cognizance of media reports of thrashing of a Dalit youth and ill-treatment meted out to him in Khera Village of Jhansi. The Commission has observed that the matter raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the Dalit victim. It may be mentioned that media reports published on 18th September, pointed that a Dalit youth, Sujan Singh, was brutally thrashed and then forced to eat human excreta by some influential people of the area with whom he had a land dispute.  His head was shaved off and his private parts were also set on fire.  He was undergoing treatment in a hospital for his injuries. The father of the victim had alleged that the family had been receiving death threats.  He had informed the police but no action was taken.  However, according to media reports, after the incident, a case was registered against five persons on the instructions of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).

lastly, the NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a Jailor in Mahoba, stamped an under trial prisoner, released by the court on bail, with a hot iron rod and brutally beat him with a whip before throwing him out of the jail in a semi-conscious state. According to the media report, carried on the 22nd September, the reason behind the Jailor’s ire was that the under trial prisoner, instead of paying a bribe of Rs 5000 to him on the occasion of his release on bail, asked him to deduct the amount from his earnings of Rs 10,000 in the jail. The matter raised a serious issue of violation of human rights of the under trial prisoner.  Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Director General of Prisons, and Superintendent of Police, Mahoba calling for reports in the matter within two weeks. It may be mentioned that the court had ordered release of the victim Halke, a Dalit and an accused in a murder case, on bail on the 20th September, 2014.  Howevrm severely injured Halke was admitted in the District Hospital by some other released prisoners.