AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has issued a notice to the police chief of Uttar Pradesh after receiving various complaints of alleged “violation of human rights” in police action undertaken during the ongoing anti-CAA protests in the state, officials said on Wednesday.
A complaint was received by the NHRC recently, seeking its intervention in the alleged incidents of violation of human rights by the state police.
In its notice to the police chief, the NHRC said that there had been several incidents of police excesses in the state following the passage of the CAA. “A youth has been killed, the internet has been suspended and the police themselves are damaging public property. Even the right to peaceful assembly has been violated. The complainant urged us to intervene in the matter,” the notice further stated.
Nearly two dozen protesters have reportedly been killed in the state as clashes were reported from various cities for three consecutive days last week. In the crackdown that followed, the police are accused to have arrested several innocent people, including activists as well as a journalist working with The Hindu.
“Other complaints were also received in connection with the matter, which have been taken on record. The complaint was registered on December 23 and subsequently a notice was issued by the NHRC to the director-general of police of Uttar Pradesh, seeking a report in four weeks,” a senior official of the rights panel said.
The complainant has alleged that subsequent to the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), “there have been many incidents of human rights violations by the state authorities in Uttar Pradesh”. “Youth have been killed, the Internet has been suspended, and the police themselves are destroying public property. The right to peaceful assembly has also been violated,” according to the complaint submitted to the NHRC.
The complainant has also alleged that in the last few days numerous reports have come from across Uttar Pradesh of several deaths, mostly of youngsters, primarily from bullet injuries sustained during police action, have occurred.
The complaint further alleged that despite policemen saying that the “police officials have not fired, the news reports showing police personnel open firing on the public, proves to the contrary”.
In the complaint, it is also alleged that “police officials have been destroying property of many individuals and have targeted Muslim population by sealing their shops”.