Complaints before the Commission
been filed in the court against the erring police personnel, the case may be entrusted to
the State CID and a charge-sheet be filed thereafter against all the culprits in the
appropriate court; and (d) disciplinary action may be initiated against the erring police
personnel.
The State Government has sent a compliance report with regard to the payment of
compensation.
Atrocities inflicted on a family in Maharashtra
(Case No. 1361/94-95/NHRC)
Shri A.R. Antulay, Member of Parliament (MP), filed a petition dated 12 September
1994, before the Commission, highlighting the case of the Haspatel family of village
Whlwati, Shrivardhan Taluk, Raigadh District, Maharashtra, who were allegedly subjected
to serious atrocities by the police during the communal riots that took place in Maharashtra
in December 1992 and January 1993. The complainant stated that the act of the police
against an innocent family had the distinct tinge of communal bias.
On consideration of the matter, the Commission noted from the report of the State
Government, that departmental action had been ordered against the police officials
involved in the matter. The Commission accordingly recommended that, keeping in view
the nature of findings in the departmental proceedings, appropriate prosecution should
be launched in respect of all, or of such persons who were found responsible for the
conduct which had been indicated in the Government order.
The matter was again considered by the Commission on 17 January 2000. The
Commission observed that fix)m the conclusions reached and the findings recorded by
the State CID,- it was evident that Shri Iqbal Ismail Haspatel, his wife, three sons and
a daughter-in-law, ie in all six members of that family, were not only humiliated and
harassed, but also unlawfully tortured. Some of them were subjected to illegal arrest. All
of these persons were subjected to several indignities wholly inconsistent with norms of
decency. It was also noted that allegations had been made to the effect that valuable
property estimated at Rs. 1.87 lakhs, owned by the victims of the incident, had also been
taken away or destroyed by the police officials; this required further verification. The
Commission directed the Government of Maharashtra to pay an amount of Rs. 5 lakhs
as compensation by way of immediate interim relief to Shri Ismail and his family
members. The Government of Maharashtra has complied with the Commission's
recommendations on the payment of compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs to the victims.
Death of workers in silicon factories of Madhya Pradesh
(Case No. 7894/96-97/NHRC)
A news item captioned TDeath in the Air' appeared in the Sunday Observer in September
1996. The Commission took suo motu cognizance of tlie news item and called for a report
ftxDm the Government of Madhya Pradesh. The report indicated that there were 134 slate
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