Rights violations outside Punjab under commission’s purview

Kumar said the commission would examine complaints of violations, including illegal abductions, custodial deaths and illegal cremations from 1979 to 1997 and whether the state agencies or individuals have prima facie committed any offence under the law of the land or international law

.He said the commission would suggest remedies available to victims, including entitlement to compensation. It would also go into "the failure of the state and its agencies in the performance of their duties as required under the rule of law.”

Answering a spate of questions whether the killings and atrocities on innocent people allegedly by militants would be looked into by the commission, Kumar and Justice A.S. Bains, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court, said that "individuals" covered all those who had committed atrocities on the people.

Bains said that Justice Kuldip Singh, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, had given his "expert guidance" in formulating the terms of reference.

Answering another question Bains said that judiciary alleged shying away from its constitutional role during the days of crisis would not be looked into by the commission. The law should take its course, if any atrocities had been committed by alleged militants, Bains added. Kumar said that the first sitting of the commission would be held in Chandigarh tentatively in the first week of August.