MARCH-2013 (ENG).cdr - National Human Rights Commission

Vol. 20 No. 3, MARCH, 2013JChairperson, NHRC attendsth4 Regional Forum on Prevention of GenocideththNHRC Chairperson, Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan (4 from left) at 4 Regional Forum on Prevention of Genocidethustice Shri K.G.Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC attended the ‘4 Regional Forumthon the Prevention of Genocide’ held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 28 February tost1 March, 2013. Addressing the gathering on ‘Asian experiences and vision for theContd. on Page -2NHRC workshop on Bonded Labour in Madhya PradeshMORE IN THIS ISSUESUO MOTUCOGNIZANCEStudent beaten to death by ateacher in BiharDeath due to starvation inOdishaMentally challenged womankept chained in OdishaDeaths in Panchayat pollviolence in AssamAssault at a police station inMaharashtraChild’s eye damaged incorporal punishment in U.P.Dalits denied water by highercastes in BiharRape and killing of threeminor sisters in MaharashtraNHRC’s Spot EnquiriesRecommendationsfor ReliefCompliance with NHRCRecommendationsMoU on Bonded/MigrantLabourers signed atRanchi, Jharkhand24456Training on HumanRights for ProfessionalCollege Students7Media briefing by Member, 7Shri Satyabrata PalMSHRC celebratesHuman Rights DayDelegation from Iceland88stNHRC Member, Justice Shri B.C. Patel in (Centre) and Registrar (Law), Shri A.K. Garg (I from right)The NHRC Member, Justice Shri B.C. Patel, Member and Registrar (Law), Shri A.K.Garg addressed a workshop on “Elimination of Bonded and Child Labour”organized by the Commission to sensitize officers of the State Government of MadhyathPradesh at Indore on 15 February, 2013.Contd. on Page -2Other important visits/seminars/programmes/conferencesComplaint received/ 8processed in February, 2013NHRC Website : www.nhrc.nic.in8

HUMAN RIGHTS NEWSLETTER, MARCH, 2013Dalits were denied water by higher castes in a village ofDistrict Kishanganj. Reportedly, higher caste persons,including the Panchayat Head were upset with the Dalitsfor lodging a complaint against them regardingsiphoning off money meant for welfare schemes. Notonly this, the children of Dalits were also warned of direconsequences if they attended the village schools. Themedia report was forwarded by a complainant to theCommission.The Commission has issued notices to the ChiefSecretary, Bihar and District Magistrate, Kishanganjcalling for reports.Rape and killing of three minor sisters in Maharashtra(Case No. 501/13/6/2013)thThe media reported on 20 February, 2013 thatthree minor sisters were raped and killed at a Dhaba invillage Lakhni, District Bhandara, when they went therein search of food. Belonging to a poor family, the sisterswere aged 5, 9 and 11 years respectively. Their bodieswere found inside a well on the outskirts of the village.The post-mortem of the bodies was done only whenvillagers protested.The Commission has issued a notice to the ChiefSecretary, Maharashtra Govt. calling for a report.NHRC’s Spot EnquiriesFollowing is the list of cases wherein spot enquiries were conducted by the Commission’s officers:S.No. Case Number Allegations Date of Visitth th1. 125/20/6/2013-BL Bonded labourers, including minor child, engaged 10 –15 February, 2013in 100 Brick Kiln in District Bhilwara, Rajasthan.th2. 3860/7/3/2011 Removal of HIV infected child from a school in 28 February, 2013Sector-3 in Ballabhgarh, Haryana.th th3. 1774/18/28/2012 Custodial torture in Odisha. 10 -16 February, 2013Apart from the large number of cases taken up dailyby individual Members, 198 cases were consideredduring four sittings of the Full Commission and seventeensittings of Division Benches in February, 2013.On 36 cases, listed in the table below, theRecommendations for ReliefCommission recommended monetary reliefamounting to a total of ` 67,25,000/- for the victims ortheir next of kin, where it found that public servantshad either violated human rights or been negligent inprotecting them.Sl. No. Case Number Nature of Complaint Amount Recommended (in `) Public Authority1 1063/4/11/2011-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) Two Lakh Govt. of Bihar2 350/33/1/2012-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) Three Lakh Govt. of Chhattisgarh3 2218/7/17/2011-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) Five Lakh Govt. of Haryana4 2200/12/11/2011-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of Madhya Pradesh5 6/12/22/2012-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) Three Lakh Govt. of Madhya Pradesh6 2163/13/23/2010-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of Maharashtra7 423/18/32/2012-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of Odisha8 10868/24/7/2012-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) Fifty Thousand Govt. of Uttar Pradesh9 28810/24/1/2011-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of Uttar Pradesh10 37451/24/48/09-10-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of Uttar Pradesh11 422/25/5/2011-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of West Bengal12 250/1/16/2012-JCD Custodial Death (Judicial) One Lakh Govt. of Andhra Pradesh4

HUMAN RIGHTS NEWSLETTER, MARCH, 2013also present at the function.The project is based on the experience of fourStates during several workshops held with cooperationfrom the Centre and the ILO and thecommon concerns about the exploitative labourpractices. It was decided to prepare and implement atime bound and result oriented project to benefit workersin the identified sectors, such as, brick kilns whereinIntra-State and Inter-State migrant labourers areengaged.Training on Human Rights for Professional College studentsShri A.K. Parashar, Joint Registrar(Law) and Focal Point for HumanRights Defenders, NHRC inaugurateda training programme on human rightsfor professional college studentsorganized by the People’s Watch withsupport from the Commission at LadyDoak College, Madurai, Tamil Naduthon 6 February, 2013.Shri Parashar said that the subjectof human rights is very vast and theCommission is committed to protectionand promotion of human rights.It is building awareness about theserights through various trainingprogrammes in collaboration witheducational institutions and civilsociety.Shri A. K. Parashar, JR (Law), NHRC addressing the gatheringMedia briefing by Member, Shri Satyabrata PalNHRC Member, Shri Satyabrata Pal briefing media personsShri Satyabrata Pal, Member,NHRC addressed a group ofthmedia persons on 19 February,2013. He responded to severalquestions on various issues ofhuman rights which included,among others, human traffickingand missing children, clinical drugtrials, death penalty and theCommission’s experience of "openhearings" in five States on complaintsof denial of rights to SCs andatrocities against them.Dr. Ashok Sahu, SecretaryGeneral, NHRC was present.7

RNI No. 59340/94HUMAN RIGHTS NEWSLETTER, MARCH, 2013Afive member delegation led byH.E. Ogmundur Jonasson, Minister,Interior Justice and Transport, Icelandthvisited the Commission on 19 February,2013. The delegation met the NHRCChairperson, Members and senior officers.They were briefed about the structure,jurisdiction and functioning of theCommission. The delegation took keeninterest in the range of issues looked into bythe NHRC.MSHRC celebrates Human Rights DayReports of special functions organized to observethHuman Rights Day on 10 December in differentparts of the country are pouring in. The State HumanRights Commission of Maharashtra also organized afunction in this connection. Justice S.B. Mhase,Chairperson, State Consumer Dispute RedressalCommission and the Chief Guest on the occasionreminded the people about the rich-social and culturalvalues and hoped that they would imbibe them to protectand defend human rights.Other important visits/seminars/programmes/conferencesEventsValedictory session of the National Seminar organizedby Shri Ram College of Law, Muzaffarnagar,thUttar Pradesh on 24 February, 2013.Monitoring visit to District Wayanad, Kerala fromthst26 February to 1 March, 2013.Complaint received/processed in February, 2013(As per an early estimate)Number of fresh complaints received in the Commission 7538Number of cases disposed of including fresh and old 6542Number of cases under consideration of the Commission 25430including fresh and oldDelegation from IcelandShri Mafiul Hussain, Secretary, MSHRC said thatthsince its inception on 15 January, 2000, theCommission has received 54703 complaints and mostof them have been disposed of. However, disposal ofcomplaints is getting affected as no Chairperson andMember has been appointed since March, 2012.The other dignitaries who addressed thegathering included Shri Sudhir Thakare, Chairman,MPSC, Fr. Frazer Mascarenhas, Principal, St. Xavier’sCollege and Shri S.S. Vagal, IGP, MSHRC.Delegation from Iceland meeting with NHRC Chairperson & MembersDelegation from NHRCJustice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson.Shri Satyabrata Pal, Member.Important Telephone Numbers of the Commission:Facilitation Centre (Madad) : 011-2338 5368For Complaints : Fax No. 011-2338 6521Other Important E-mail Addressesjrlawnhrc@nic.in (For complaints),cr.nhrc@nic.in (For general queries/correspondence)Focal point for Human Rights DefendersMobile No.: 9810298900, Fax No. 011-2338 4012E-mail : hrd-nhrc@nic.inThis Newsletter is also available on the Commission’s website www.nhrc.nic.inNGOs and other organizations are welcome to reproduce material of the Newsletter and disseminate it widely acknolwledging the NHRC.Printed and Published by Ashok Sahu, Secretary General, on behalf of the National Human Rights Commission. Printed at Dolphin Printo Graphic, 4E/7,Pabla Building, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi-110055 and published at National Human Rights Commission, Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi-110001.Designed & Edited by : Jaimini Kumar SrivastavaPh. : 91-11-23382742, E-mail : ionhrc@nic.in