6.11 The Supreme Court of India, vide its order dated 12 December 1996, had remitted Punjab Mass Cremation case to NHRC. The case relates to the disappearance of people allegedly due to police abductions in some parts of Punjab, culminating in the alleged secret cremation of 2,097 bodies by Punjab Police in the districts of Amritsar, Majitha and Tarn Taran between 1984 and 1994. The earlier Annual Reports of the Commission have provided full details of the proceedings conducted by the Commission in respect of this case. 6.12 The Commission vide its proceedings dated 11 November 2004 had awarded compensation of Rs. 2,50,000 to the next of kin of each of the deceased persons who were in the custody of Punjab Police at the time of their death. Subsequently, vide its order dated 10 October 2006, the Commission awarded Rs. 1,75,000 to the next of kin of each of the deceased whose bodies were surrpetitiously cremated by the State of Punjab without following the Punjab Police Rules, guidelines, practices and humanitarian law. Till 31 March 2008, the Commission had awarded Rs. 4,87,50,000 to the next of kin of 195 deceased persons at the rate of Rs. 2,50,000 each and Rs. 20,87,75,000 to the next of kin of 1,193 deceased persons at the rate of Rs. 1,75,000 each. A total amount of Rs. 25,75,25,000 was thus recommended by the Commission for payment to the next of kin of 1,388 deceased persons. 6.13 Since the establishment of the Commission in October 1993, it has recommended monetary relief to the victims/next of kin of deceased victims in appropriate cases, details of which have already been elucidated in the previous Annual Reports. During 2007-2008, the Commission recommended monetary relief amounting to Rs. 3,20,00,000 in 199 cases, including 81 cases of custodial deaths. Out of these 199 cases, the Commission recommended disciplinary action in 9 cases and prosecution of errant public servants in 2 cases. Besides, only disciplinary action was recommended in 2 cases (Annexure-7). 6.14 The Commission has come across a large number of complaints relating to allegations of avoidance on the part of the officers of the police stations to register complaints of cognizable offence or a tendency to minimize the gravity of the offence while registering a case. It is a serious violation of the statutory obligations imposed on the in-charge of the police station under the provisions of Chapter XII, Code of Criminal Procedure, in particular, Section 154 of Cr.P.C. This has an adverse effect on the criminal justice delivery system. The Commission recommends that all the States and Union Territories issue necessary instructions to all the concerned police personnel to meticulously adhere to the provision of Section 154 of Cr.P.C in matters relating to registration of cases. 6.15 The Commission through this Annual Report once again urges the Central and State Governments to respond promptly to requests for reports and other documents and to act without any further delay on its varied recommendations in individual cases. The Commission also repeats its recommendation that the Central and State Governments should adhere more carefully to the guidelines issued by it, as this would facilitate the Commission in prompt disposal of cases 34 National Human Rights Commission