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CIVIL LIBERTIES
4.49 The Commission is gratified to note from the Memorandum of Action Taken on its
annual report for the year 2001-2002 that the guidelines issued by the Commission
advising the State Governments/ UT Administrations to report all custodial deaths or
rape to the Commission within 24 hours of such occurrence as well as to send the required
reports within two months of the incident including post-mortem report in accordance
with the new format are being followed. The Commission had also noted that the
Commission’s instructions regarding the videography of the post-mortem examination in
respect of deaths in police custody or judicial custody have been conveyed to the States
and UTs for appropriate action.
4.50 The Commission issued revised guidelines in respect of procedure to be followed
in cases of encounter deaths. The Commission has emphasised that the States must send
an intimation to the Commission of all cases of deaths arising out of police encounters.
The Commission also recommended a modified procedure to be followed by State
Governments in all cases of deaths in the course of police action, and it was made clear
that where the police officers belonging to the same police station are members of the
encounter party, whose action resulted in deaths, such cases be handed over for
investigation to some other independent investigating agency, such as the State CBCID.
Whenever a specific complaint is made against the police alleging commission of a
criminal act on their part and a case of culpable homicide is made out, an FIR to this
effect must be registered under appropriate sections of the I.P.C. Such a case shall
invariably be investigated by the State CBCID. A Magisterial Inquiry must invariably be
held in all cases of deaths, which occur in the course of police action. The next of kin
of the deceased must invariably be associated in such inquiry. All the Chief Ministers
and Administrators have been directed to send a six monthly statement of all cases of
deaths in police action in the States/ UTs through the Director General of Police to the
Commission by the 15th Day of January and July in the proforma devised for the purpose.
4.51 The Commission has noted with appreciation that, upon its recommendations,
State Governments have established Human Rights Cells in the police headquarters of
their respective capitals.
4.52 The Commission is convinced that a fair and proper investigation is an essential
feature of fair trial and that it is important to impart professional training to the investigating
officials. In order to achieve this object, the Commission has set up a Training Division
in NHRC in September 2003. Details of the training conducted by this Division are fully
covered in Chapter 11 (F). During the year 2003-2004 the Training Division of the NHRC
in collaboration with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) a prominent
NGO, conducted a four days’ ‘Human Rights Sensitization Course’, for police officers of
Chhattisgarh working in the police stations and the State Human Rights Commission, in
NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION