NHRC asks home ministry to pay relief
14 Feb 2014 11:38 PM GMT
The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday asked the union home ministry to pay Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the five persons who died in an encounter with Assam Rifles in Sonitpur district of Assam in April, 2009.
The Commission wanted the MHA to pay the monetary relief within a period of eight weeks and also sought a compliance report from the Union Home Secretary along with the proof of payment on or before 20 March.
Rejecting the report from the Assam Rifles in the matter, Commission observed that it was not provided any proof that any of these five men had either handled or fired the weapons allegedly recovered from the scene of the incident.
‘Further, no explanation was offered by the MHA to show that there was no violation of human rights in the incident and for that reason, the next of kin of the five deceased should be compensated,’ a statement issued by the NHRC said.
The Commission also noted that the Magistrate, who conducted the enquiry, had held that four out of the five men might have had involvement with an extremist organisation, but had not examined the circumstances of their deaths.
The Commission wanted the MHA to pay the monetary relief within a period of eight weeks and also sought a compliance report from the Union Home Secretary along with the proof of payment on or before 20 March.
Rejecting the report from the Assam Rifles in the matter, Commission observed that it was not provided any proof that any of these five men had either handled or fired the weapons allegedly recovered from the scene of the incident.
‘Further, no explanation was offered by the MHA to show that there was no violation of human rights in the incident and for that reason, the next of kin of the five deceased should be compensated,’ a statement issued by the NHRC said.
The Commission also noted that the Magistrate, who conducted the enquiry, had held that four out of the five men might have had involvement with an extremist organisation, but had not examined the circumstances of their deaths.
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