SHRC member flays illegal detention of minorities

Mangalore, Mar 1: State Human Rights Commission has called upon the police to be judicious in their approach and stop lifting innocent people in the name of investigation.

Chairing a review meeting with regard to human rights violation at Deputy Commissioner's office on Firday in Mangalore, C G Hunagunda, Commission Member said that police must stop looking at minority communities with a 'jaundice eye' and see to it that they do not violate human rights by arresting innocent people.

Citing example of the clean chit given by the NIA to journalist Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui and Yusuf Nalband, who had been picked up by the Bangalore police as “terror suspects”, he stated that the police must not venture into making unlawful detentions.

“They have been given clean chit by NIA. This incident has shown Bangalore Police in wrong light. The incident becomes all the more serious because they were from minority community. Police must stop looking at members of certain communities and minorities with suspicion. Having performed duties as a judge in the past, I understand that it is not easy for police to catch culprits and interrogate them. But at least have some base or justification before an arrest,” Mr. Hunagunda said.

Stating that there are about 120 to 150 complaints of human rights violations from DK district before the State Human Rights Commission, Mr. Hunagunda said that majority of them are concerning the police department.

Mr Hunagunda urged Manish Kharbikar, Mangalore Police Commissioner, who was present in the meet, to ensure that no unlawful detentions take place in the region and no case of human rights violations is reported.

Speaking on the issue of endosulfan, Mr. Hunagunda said that the Commission has been appealing to the government to ban endosulfan and press for better compensation for the victims. The compensation being given at the moment is “negligible”, he said and also expressed concerns at the lesser number of rehabilitation centres for endosulfan victims in the region.

Mr. Hunagunda also urged the district administrationto se to it that human rights are not violated in the name of development.

Prakash, Deputy Commissioner, DK, Dr. Harish Kumar, Commissioner, MCC, personnel in-charge of various departments in the district administration were present in the meet.