NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has castigated Punjab Police for abuse of power and recommended various Measures to the State Government for ¢checking such instances.

 In a report made public last week, the NHRC asked for the release of monthly lists of all TADA detainees; end to the use of unmarked vehicles by the police; disclosure Of the lists of suspects to avoid apprehensions of arbitrary arrests: Stringent action against erring police personnel and cessation of police operations under special laws, as terrorism has virtually been contained.

The Commission also recommended to Chief Minister Beant Singh that a State-level Human Rights Commission be set up, to which he is said to have agreed.

The NHRC did not make specific recommendations on individual cases, as it was still processing the 171 complaints it received during its three-day visit to Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. To expedite the process, a core group at the State level has been set up, comprising Punjab State bureaucrats, police officers and the legal adviser.

The commission was unhappy to hole that there were numerous complaints of people being prevented from meeting its members; even the Amritsar Bar Association was unable to meet them, Following international publicity, the NHRC conveyed its feelings to the State government.

The Commission, noting strong pleas for revoking the special powers to the police, recommended that the State look into normalizing the rode and functioning of the police and reestablishing the authority of the district magistrates over the police. This would enable the DM to inquire into allegations of human rights violations by the police.

 The menacing use of unmarked vehicles by the police to pick up Suspects came under special attention of the Commission, which pointed out that the Motor Vehicle Act does not permit plying of vehicles without proper registration number. It rejected the claim that use of such vehicles was essential to police functioning.

The NHRC also asked the State Government to not discriminate in doling out compensations to victims of violence, As for TADA, the Commission was studying the use of this Act throughout the country in detail.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 12, 1994