NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission has sought an ATR on the psycho-physical well-being of police personnel in connection with the alleged murder of Odisha minister Naba Kishore Das case.
It passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and noted human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, who alleged that governments across India have failed to ensure the physical and mental well-being of police personnel in complete violation of the Supreme Court’s 2006 judgment in
Prakash Singh case.
Tripathy alleged that governments failed to ensure the physical and mental well-being of police personnel, which raised issues of murders and related offences, and inefficient discharge of duty by them. This newspaper has learnt that NHRC had recently issued notices to the secretary, ministry of health & family welfare, secretary, ministry of home affairs, and the chief secretaries of all states including Odisha and the Union Territories to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within eight weeks in such cases, including the murder of Naba Kishore Das.
NHRC wanted to know from the respective parties as to why and how the SC’s historic verdict in the Prakash Singh case had been violated, Tripathy told this newspaper.
What is Prakash Singh verdict?
In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court in 2006 directed all states and UTs to bring in police reforms. It issued a series of measures that were to be undertaken by the governments so that the police could work without worrying about political interference. The court passed these directions while hearing a PIL filed by former IPS officer Prakash Singh.
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