New Delhi, Apr 23, (LAB) The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India on Friday took cognizance of a complaint alleging an attack by miscreants on Sri Ram Navami Shobhayatra despite permission from the authorities in the area under Shibpur Police Station, Howrah District, West Bengal on March 30, 2023. Allegedly, the armed attack was made with a malafide intention to ruin the peaceful Yatra and to cause grievous injuries to its participants in order to frighten and deter them from organizing such an event in the future. Allegedly, the police refused to accept a written complaint to take action in the matter against the miscreants.
The Commission observed that the allegations if accurate, amount to a failure of the authorities to exercise due diligence to avert the incident. The Constitution of India entitles all persons to the freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practice and propagate religion freely. The State is answerable, if these rights are abrogated without substantive reasons.
Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Director General of Police, DGP, West Bengal, and the Commissioner of Police, Howrah directing them to inquire into the matter and submit a report within two weeks. They have also been asked to ensure that proper legal procedure is followed in the investigation of the matter, and no one is subjected to hardship due to any illegal action of the police.
The report must contain the details of the FIR registered, the status of the investigation, and the arrest, if any, in the matter. It should include the number of people injured, the treatment given to them, and also the details of the destruction of property, if any. It should also mention the safety measures taken to avoid such incidents, the NHRC bench directed./ LAB/SNG