The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday issued notice to the West Bengal government over the illegal recording of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) enquiry into a case, and assault on the team by the police in Kolkata.
The matter pertains to a suspicious death of a seven-year girl in the Tiljala area of Kolkata. It is alleged that police officials obstructed the enquiry by the NCPCR team, led by its Chairperson on March 31.
The members of the team were allegedly physically assaulted and were threatened when they protested against the police for recording on camera, in contravention of law, their conversation with the victim’s parents as part of the enquiry.
The NCPCR complaint has sought registration of a first information report and action against the erring police personnel under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act as well as the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and not as rendered, the NHRC communique said.
Acting on the complaint by the NCPCR, the commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police, West Bengal calling for a detailed report in the matter including the status of the investigation conducted in the case and the FIR registered at PS Tiljala on the complaint. A response is expected from the authorities within 4 weeks.
Issuing the notices, the commission has observed that the NCPCR is a statutory body having a mandate for the protection and promotion of the rights of children, including monitoring of the implementation of the child-specific laws, viz., Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), Juvenile Justice, Right to Education (RTE), etc. The NCPCR is lawfully empowered to enquire, on its own, on the basis of a complaint, on any matter relating to an alleged violation of the rights of the children.
The commission is of the prima facie view that installing video cameras in the room in a discrete manner, where the NCPCR team was supposed to talk to the parents of the victim is not only morally wrong but also against the directions of the Supreme Court regarding maintaining privacy with regard to name and identity of a female victim of a crime. Physical assault on the NCPCR team is also a grave violation of human rights.