[Reader-list] Most fake encounters are by police, not army: NHRC

[Asit Das]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/most-fake-encounters-are-by-police-not-army-nhrc/article5368133.ece#.UouODXzJAIU.gmail


 Updated: November 19, 2013 17:40 IST
Most fake encounters are by police, not army: NHRC

IANS


   [image: “Police forces have to be disciplined and the only way that is
possible is by giving out exemplary punishments to the guilty police
officers and only then will such cases reduce,” Satyabrata Pal said. File
Photo: Rajeev Bhatt]
 The Hindu “Police forces have to be disciplined and the only way that is
possible is by giving out exemplary punishments to the guilty police
officers and only then will such cases reduce,” Satyabrata Pal said. File
Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Tuesday that a
majority of fake encounters in many Indian states were by police officers,
and not the armed forces.

“AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) draws a lot of ire and there is a
notion that repealing it will curb fake encounter cases, but our findings
show that the majority of such killings are carried out by the state police
who enjoy protection of their government,” National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) member Satyabrata Pal told *IANS*.

“Police forces have to be disciplined and the only way that is possible is
by giving out exemplary punishments to the guilty police officers and only
then will such cases reduce,” he added.

The NHRC, as part of its series of visits to many states to monitor the
socio-economic conditions and complaints of fake encounters, recently
visited Manipur and found gross violations of human rights.

The commission said it investigated 44 cases of fake encounters that took
place in Manipur between 2005 and 2010, and found the state government
provided compensation in the form of monetary relief only in three cases.

“The state government is just not serious about punishing the guilty. In
fact, there was a lack of cooperation with our officials too,” said Pal.

Explaining the commission’s limitations to take action against the guilty,
Pal said the panel can’t take any action against the armed forces due to
the AFSPA, and the police are being protected by the state governments.

Pal added that the fake encounter cases were a matter of concern only in
Manipur and Assam while the other north-eastern states were “peaceful”.