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The Times of India, THURSDAY, MARCH 28,
2002 10:27:54 AM
Pages missing in Gujarat
govt's report: NHRC
NEW DELHI: The much-awaited report of the Gujarat government on
the continuing communal violence came to the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday with a large number of
pages missing.
According to sources in the commission, the three-volume
‘comprehensive report’, with the main report in 135
pages and annexures running into another 265 pages, was found to
be inadequate soon after its arrival. As a result, the report
could not be taken up by the commission on Wednesday.
‘‘There is no point in going through the report when so
many pages are missing,’’ the source said.
‘‘We have spoken to the Gujarat government and they
have promised to replace the report with a new set on
Thursday,’’ he said. Sources said individual members
will go through the complete report when it comes. The
NHRC’s final report will come only in the middle of next
week, he said.
Officials who have cursorily gone through the
‘‘inadequate report’’ say it talks about the
efforts made by the state government to contain violence,
deployment of police, its response to media reports and other
issues.
PTI [ MONDAY, APRIL 01, 2002 8:26:52 PM
NHRC indicts Gujarat govt
NEW DELHI: In a severe indictment, the National Human Rights
Commission on Monday accused the Gujarat government of failing to
stop the communal violence in the state.
The NHRC has also asked to transfer investigation of
"critical cases" to CBI and establishment of special
courts to try them.
In its first set of recommendations for immediate consideration
for Central and State governments, the Commission said it has
received "widespread" allegations that FIRs have been
poorly or wrongly recorded and that investigations were being
"influenced" by extraneous considerations or players.
"The Commission is of the view that the integrity of the
process has to be restored. It, therefore, recommends the
entrusting of certain critical cases to the CBI."
"These include the cases relating to Godhra incident, which
is at present being investigated by the Government Railway
Police, Chamanpura (Gulbarga Society) incident, Naroda Patiya
incident, Best Bakery case in Vadodra and the Sardarpura case in
Mehsana district," the Commission said.
The Commission has also recommended that special courts should
try these cases on a day-to-day basis and the judges should be
handpicked by the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court.
It said that special prosecutors should be appointed as needed
and procedures should be adopted for conduct of proceedings in
such a manner that the traumatised condition of the victims
especially women and children was not aggravated.
It added that the victims should be protected from further trauma
or threat.
A particular effort should be made to depute sensitive officers,
particularly women, to assist in the handling of such cases, it
said.
The Commission said given the wide variation in the performance
of public servants in the discharge of their statutory
responsibilities, action should be intitiated to identify and
proceed against those who have failed to act appropriately to
control the violence at its initial stages or prevent its
escalation thereafter.
By the same token, the officers who have performed their duties
well should be commended.
The Commission's recommendations have come after examining a
comprehensive report sent by the Gujarat government following
rejection of a "perfunctory" report sent by the state
earlier.
Commission Chairman J S Verma himself had visited some worst
violence-hit cities including Godhra and Ahmedabad last month.
Among the other steps recommended are constitution of special
cells under District Magistrates to follow progress of
investigation in cases not entrusted to CBI and monitoring of
these cases by the Additional Director General of Police (Crime).
There should be specific time frame fixed for expeditious
completion of investigations and setting up of police desks in
relief camps to receive complaints, record FIRs and forward them
to police stations.
The Commission said provocative statements made on electronic or
print media should be examined and acted upon and the burden of
proof shifted to such people to explain or contradict their
statements.
The NHRC also made recommendations on the manner camps should be
run with senior officials of the rank of secretary given specific
responsibilty in respect of groups of camps.
Special facilities and camps should be set up for the processing
of insurance and compensation claims and inmates should not be
asked to leave the camps until appropriate relief and
rehabilitation measures were in place for them and they feel
assured on security grounds that they could leave the camps.