सव भव तु सिखनः ु 7.12.2 NHRC has been proac ve in monitoring state adherence towards implementa on of Protec on of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Preven on of Atroci es) Act, 1989. The Commission has also strongly recommended puni ve measures against discriminatory prac ces. In furtherance, the Commission also receives inputs from the Chairperson of Na onal Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes. The Prohibi on of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilita on Act, 2013, gives a detailed defini on of 'manual scavenger' in Sec on 2 (g) as, “a person engaged or employed, at the commencement of this Act or at any me therea er, by an individual or local authority or an agency or a contractor, for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of, or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain or pit into which the human excreta from the insanitary latrines is disposed of, or on a railway track or in such other spaces or premises, as the Central Government or a State Government may no fy, before the excreta fully decomposes in such manner as may be prescribed, and the expression 'manual scavenging' shall be construed accordingly.” The Commission acknowledged an admi ed lapse by police official ASI Nadir Khan for the delay and, invoking Sec on 18(a)(I) of PHRA, recommended compensa on of rupees two lakh to the deceased's wife, ci ng human rights infringement due to police derelic on. 7.12.3 NHRC considers the systema c exclusion of certain communi es a grave viola on of human rights. It has been deeply concerned about the inhuman and degrading prac ce of employment of person for manual handling or manual cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain, pits, railway track, private homes and toilets maintained by the Municipal Corporaons, etc. It is commi ed to work towards promo on and protec on of the rights of SCs, STs and other vulnerable groups and address the inhuman and degrading prac ce of Manual Scavenging. In response, the DCP, Shahdara District, Delhi, communicated on 25 October 2021, sta ng that the alleged delay in sending exhibits to FSL, Rohini, was due to the complainant's failure to provide admi ed handwri ng. Efforts were made to obtain the handwri ng from the family and employer. The suicide note, along with documents, was eventually sent to FSL on 02 April 2019. The report emphasised no fault on the part of IO/ ASI, and a reply to NHRC's show-cause no ce was duly sent. The complainant, in an affidavit during inquest proceedings, claimed se lement with the factory owner for Rs. 3,00,000/- and requested closure of all complaints. The IO/ ASI menoned that the deceased's clothes were seized and not handed over due to being deposited in the maalkhana. Chapter 7 - Thematic Areas 7.12.4 Illustra ve Cases 1.) Atroci es on the basis of caste in District Shahdara, Delhi. (Case No. 2863/30/2/2019) The Commission received a complaint from a complainant alleging that her husband was compelled to take his own life by his employer, who failed to disburse her husband's savings amoun ng to Rs.4,80,000/-. Despite repor ng the ma er to the police, no ac on was ini ated. A report dated 01 November 2019 was filed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara District, Delhi. It stated that an inves ga on was conducted, and the alleged suicide note was sent to the FSL, Rohini, on 04 February 2019. The report men oned discussions with the APP, who suggested insufficient evidence for FIR registra on. The allega ons of caste-sensi ve words and financial disputes were deemed unsubstan ated. Furthermore, IO ASI faced queries for delaying the submission of admi ed signatures to FSL, with the SHO, Geeta Colony P.S., directed to take legal ac on based on FSL opinion. 65