NHRC finds ’06 encounter ‘doubtful’, recommends compensation

Pulling the lid off police brutalities and fake encounters in the national capital, National Human Rights Commission sternly indicted the union home ministry (MHA), Delhi government and Delhi police and found a 2006 encounter ‘doubtful,’ recommending a total compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victims. NHRC also issued notices to all three and asked for responses. In a statement released on Friday, the NHRC pointed fingers at the Delhi police and also accused Delhi government of ‘self-serving evasiveness’ and ‘non-cooperation’. The encounter had taken place on 5 May 2006 when a team special cell team shot five men, namely Ayub, Babu, Sanjay, Aslam and Manoj. The cell had then claimed all five were gangsters and were on their way to commit crimes in the Capital. The commission had registered a case in this regard in 2006-2007 on the basis of an intimation received from the father of one of the victims. ‘The commission has found the encounter doubtful and has recommended Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of five persons killed in the encounter,’ the statement said. The commission said it was unable to understand how the ministry of home affairs claimed that Delhi police has managed to prove that the encounter was genuine.