UP drags feet on rights violation compensation

And they are not the only ones: Sunil Kumar Bharadwaj’s family has been waiting since August 19,2009. Samiuddin has been waiting since February 11,2010.

In all three cases,the government had accepted that they deserved monetary relief. Still,the relief is caught in red tape.

CASE I
Ram Shankar and Prabhat Singh,residents of Jharkhand’s Gadwha district,were killed by the police. Shankar was the son of Bhansidar Sahu,a farmer,while Prabhat’s father Lallan Prasad is a retired teacher.

In its inquiry,the Commission found the two victims were on way to Beejpur by train when the police picked them up from Jharokas station when they had got off the train for refreshments. They were taken to a forest within the jurisdiction of Mayorpur police post and killed.

In response to the commission’s showcause notice,the state government,in a letter on May 13,2008,accepted that the men’s families were entitled to monetary relief.

“It was a open and shut case of fake encounter,” said Ram Parvesh,elder brother of Ram Shankar. “The court sentenced 12 policemen to life imprisonment. I don’t know why the government is sitting on it.”

Home Secretary Anant Kumar said the Commission has asked for proof of payment by August 24. “The payment has been approved by the Finance Department,” he says.

CASE II
On February 20,2005 at 10 am,constable Ram Dhyan Prajapti of PAC opened indiscriminate fire at his colleagues deployed at the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir complex in Varanasi.

Six police personnel and Sunil Kumar Bharadwaj,who worked at a flower shop,were hit. Three policemen and Sunil died.

Ram Dhyan was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Sunil was the sole earning member of his family.

On August 19,2009,the NHRC asked the state government to pay his family Rs 5 lakh. It also asked the Chief Secretary to send a compliance report within six months.

The government conceded that Sunil’s family deserved monetary relief but the money is yet to come.

The family has visited police and district officials several times. “I have almost lost hope. I cannot understand why the government is not honouring the Commission’s recommendation,” said his father Munni Lal (58).

Home Secretary Anand Kumar said,“In a letter,the commission has asked us to submit the proof of payment by July 5. The file is under process for financial concurrence.”

CASE III
On February 11,2010,the NHRC asked the state to pay Rs 5 lakh to Samiuddin,a journalist with a Hindi daily in Lakhimpur,for the police atrocities he faced in the line of duty.

According to Samiuddin,he was being harassed since 2004 but things got worse a year later after he filed reports on a police-criminal nexus and bungling in land distribution. An attempt was made on his life too.

The NHRC asked the Chief Secretary to submit a compliance report within six weeks. This time too,the government,in a letter to the Commission on November 10,2009,accepted that there had been a violation of human rights.

In its order,the Commission had observed: “This case is a stark example not only of total apathy,but outright antagonism towards a person whose right to life was seriously endangered” by the acts of the concerned police authorities.

“I got this letter from the Commission after suffering at the hands of the state administration for six years,” said Samiuddin. “I was happy that someone is concerned about me. But the government seems to have ignored the commission’s letter.”

Home Secretary Anand Kumar said,“While we did not get the recommendation letter for monetary relief,the NHRC inquired about the status on May 19 and asked us to explain by June 9. Probably the letter has been misplaced. We have asked the commission for a copy of the letter.”