Andhra Pradesh top in fake encounter cases, UP second, Odisha third

AGRA: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had registered 211 cases regarding fake encounters across the country between January 1, 2015, and March 20, 2019, according to a reply under the Right To Information (RTI) Act. Of these, in 25 cases, the NHRC (which is a statutory body) approved the payment of Rs 1,76,50,000 by the state governments concerned as compensation for violation of human rights in alleged fake encounters.
According to the data shared by the NHRC, the most number of cases, at 57, were registered on the basis of complaints received from Andhra Pradesh. This was followed by 39 in Uttar Pradesh and 22 in Odisha. Such cases registered in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were 13 and 10, respectively.
Agra-based human rights activist Naresh Paras, who had sought this information under the RTI Act, said, “The NHRC, in its response to the query, mentioned that 99 registered cases out the total 211 are pending, and 112 have been disposed of. In 25 cases, NHRC ordered compensation to the victims of human rights violation. It must be noted that following lack of common awareness, complaints in very few such cases are made before the NHRC. The actually number of fake encounter cases would be much higher. For example, only one complaint of fake encounter each in Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal was registered with the NHRC in the past four years. State governments have been lenient in cases of fake encounters by police. In UP, at least one alleged case of fake encounter by police surfaces every month.”
In January, officials of the United Nations had written to the Indian government with information about 15 cases of what could be extra-judicial killings by police in Uttar Pradesh. They have also taken note of 59 cases of possible fake encounters.
In the past four years, the NHRC has ordered compensation of Rs 85 lakh in 13 cases of human rights violation in Manipur, Rs 30 lakh in four cases in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 21 lakh in two cases in Odisha, Rs 20 lakh in two cases in Chhattisgarh, Rs 5.5 lakh in one case from West Bengal. Also, Rs 5 lakh in one case each from Bihar, Haryana and Meghalaya.
In the RTI response, the NHRC stated that it does not determine whether a complaint regarding fake encounter is true or false. The NHRC also said it is its job to check whether human rights violation has taken place or not. In case it has taken place, the commission has the authority to impose penalty, order departmental action or prosecution of official or officials found guilty.