NHRC issues notice to MP govt

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about police assaulting a group of farmers after stripping them to underwear at the Tikamgarh rural police station in Madhya Pradesh (MP) on October 3, 2017, when they were returning from a protest against the alleged anti- farmer policies of the Government. Police station Incharge has claimed that the farmers were taken to the police station so that their names and addresses could be noted down.

The NHRC has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, are indicative of violation of human rights of the farmers. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP), Madhya Pradesh, calling for a report in the matter within four weeks, according to an NHRC release.

As per news report, carried  on October 5, 2017, the protesters went to hand over a memorandum to the District Collector, Tikamgarh, after the rally but he refused to meet them. Thereafter, the protesters got annoyed and threw stones at policemen and scuffled with them. The policemen, reportedly, responded with a lathi charge. According to the media report, the State Home Minister has called for an inquiry report into the incident within three days but also claimed that no one was beaten up at the police station. The Chief Minister has, reportedly, accused the Congress Party of provoking the protesters to create disturbances.