NEW DELHI: The police failed to take appropriate action in the recent violence between two communities in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district, which led to firing and children sustained critical injuries, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights alleged.
The apex child rights body called for a high-level inquiry at the home secretary level and directed that the investigation report be sent to it within 15 days.
A man succumbed to bullet wounds and some people were injured in a clash between two groups in Khamaria village, some 115 kilometres from the district headquarters, last Saturday.
The NCPCR, in its report, said four children were injured in this incident.
Its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo visited the region and upon investigation, he found that appropriate action was not taken by the police during the violence, according to the child rights body.
"Therefore, after conducting a high-level inquiry at the home secretary level, the investigation report should be sent to the commission within 15 days," the commission said in the report.
Kanoongo also sought Rs 1 lakh interim relief for the children injured in the incident.
During the visit, it was found that the police had provided security at the residences of the accused while the houses of the victims were not provided with any kind of police protection, the NCPCR claimed.
"It is noteworthy that the children of the tribal community who were harassed in the violence, who are also eyewitnesses and witnesses, it seems necessary to be given police protection even outside their homes in their villages.
"Therefore, it is recommended that the administration should provide security in an impartial manner and while recording the statements of children, the child-friendly process of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, should be followed and their statements should be recorded only after proper counselling of the frightened children," the report mentioned.
From the interaction with the affected people, including children, and their families, it appeared that there were attempts of discrimination against the tribal children and to keep them out of the mainstream of the nation, the commission said.
The NCPCR shared the report with the chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh and requested him to issue necessary directions to all stakeholders concerned in order to take urgent action on these issues.