Hashimpura massacre: NHRC moves High Court for probe guidelines in custodial death cases

Referring to three separate reports of the Law Commission, the NHRC also suggested that the burden of proof in custodial death cases should be put on the police officer.

Days after kin of the 1987 Hashimpura massacre victims moved the Delhi High Court against the acquittal of 16 UP police personnel, the National Human Rights Commission on Monday approached the court seeking “enforceable guidelines” to be followed by investigative agencies in cases of custodial violence and death.

Calling the 1987 massacre the “worst incident of targeted custodial killing by the police since Independence”, the NHRC application, filed by advocates Vrinda Grover and Bhavook Chauhan, sought the High Court’s permission to intervene in the appeal by the victims’ kin.

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Referring to three separate reports of the Law Commission, the NHRC also suggested that the burden of proof in custodial death cases should be put on the police officer. Further, the commission has sought directions that a judicial inquiry must be conducted in all cases of custodial death or violence, and a copy of the magistrate’s report should be sent to the NHRC. It also claimed the police as well as the CID have “deliberately suppressed and concealed material evidences” to “screen the accused PAC personnel”.