The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took note of the public flogging of a couple by purportedly a local TMC leader in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district. Issuing notices to the state chief secretary and Director General of Police (DGP), the statutory body called for a detailed report within a week.
“It should include the status of the police investigation in the matter, the health status of the victims and medical treatment if any, provided to them,” the NHRC said in a release.
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Criticising the TMC-led West Bengal government, the NHRC said the state authorities “have not learnt any lessons neither from the shameful incidents that occurred in the past nor from the concern raised” by the Commission.
Commenting on the law-and-order situation in the state, the NHRC said, "the law has been taken into hands by unruly elements, victimizing innocent people, especially women."
{{/usCountry}}Commenting on the law-and-order situation in the state, the NHRC said, "the law has been taken into hands by unruly elements, victimizing innocent people, especially women."
{{/usCountry}}The rights body said it would send a team to visit the place of the incident to conduct an on-the-spot fact-finding enquiry in the matter and to submit a report to the Commission at the earliest.
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Terming the flogging incident a “serious issue of violation of the couple's human rights”, the Commission said it would like to know “the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the State government to ensure that such incidents of violation of the human rights of the citizens, by politically protected goons, do not recur.”
Highlighting its role during past instances in West Bengal, the NHRC also mentioned similar incidents in Cooch Behar and Sandeshkhali.
The West Bengal police registered a case on Sunday after a video of the incident went viral on social media and was widely shared by leaders from political parties including BJP and Communist Party of India (Marxist) who condemned the incident.
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Speaking to PTI on Sunday, Islampur Police Superintendent Joby Thomas K said that the police have initiated raids to arrest the culprit and will investigate the reason behind the act. On Monday, the accused Tajimul Hossain alias JCB was produced in the Islampur sub-divisional court by the police and was granted a five-day custody, reported the Indian Express.
Denying any connection with the accused, the TMC had said the incident was due to an alleged 'illicit' relationship that the villagers did not approve of.