The Tribune, January 8, 2001
DC, SSP told to ensure safety of ex-minister
From K.G. Dutt
Tribune News Service
KARNAL, Jan 7 - The National Human Rights Commission has directed the Karnal Deputy Commissioner, Mr Devender Singh (by name) and the Senior Police Officers of the district to ensure the "personal safety of Mr Tejinder Pal Singh Mann - a former Haryana Minister and his family members."
The meeting of the Commission held on January 3 and chaired by Justice J.S. Verma in its order dated January 5 has hoped that the administration as a whole and the officers present during hearing of Mr Mann's petition were alive to the responsibility of ensuring "full protection to the life and property of the petitioner and his family." The commission expressed the fear lest any untoward incident of any kind tend to raise a strong suspicion against the district officers in the background of the events so far.
The commission passed the orders after hearing the officers including the Deputy Commissioner, Mr A.S. Ahlawat, Senior Superintendent of Police (Karnal), Mr Rattan Singh, DSP (Hqs Karnal) who were summoned to appear before the commission on January 3 on a complaint by Mr Mann.
Mr Mann, in his complaint, had alleged that the district administration was engaged in registering false cases against him and his family members consequent to "political vendetta" of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr O.P. Chautala. Mr Mann had also alleged that as a result of approaching the commission, the vendetta let loose against the petitioner by the administration, particularly the district officers summoned by the commission had increased in intensity.
The Former Minister had brought to the notice of the commission that there was "a serious apprehension of threat to the life and property of the petitioner and his family members."
The commission took serious note of it and directed the Deputy Commissioner and other officers to file affidavits in reply within a week.
The commission also directed Mr. Brijendar Singh Mann, son of the Minister, who has filed a separate petition against the administration to provide a copy of it to the Deputy Commissioner (Karnal) so that the latter may be able to file his response to the same. The commission fixed the next hearing on January 12 and required the officers to be present on that day.
The officers, in their reply, are reported to have denied the allegations of political vendetta and maintained that all cases have been registered as per the provisions of law and proper investigations on complaints made by various complainants against the former minister.
The Indian express, January 8, 2001
NHRC asks Haryana Govt to give protection to former Minister
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
NEW DELHI, JAN 7: The Haryana Government has been asked by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to ensure ``full protection to the life and property'' of a former state minister who had approached the Commission alleging that he and his family were being tortured as ``part of political vendetta by the State Government''.
NHRC, which had received a complaint by Congress leader Tejinder Pal Singh Mann, asked the Karnal district Deputy Commisioner and top police officials allegedly responsible for the human rights violation and misuse of power to appear before the commision on January three.
In its proceedings, NHRC said, ``We do hope that the administration as a whole, and the officers present here, in particular, are alive to their responsiblity of ensuring full protection to the life and property of the petitioner and the family lest any untoward incident of any kind tend to raise a strong suspicion against them in the background of the events so far, including the event susbsquent to taking cognizance of this matter by the Commission.''
The Commission, which has set January 12 as the next date of hearing, said, ``The Deputy Commissioner and the other officers present are also required to ensure the personal safety of the petitioner and his family members.''
Mann's Counsel had submitted before NHRC that ``as a result of the petitioner approaching this Commission, the vendatta let loose against the petitioner by the administration and particularly these officers present there, has increased in intensity and there is a serious apprehension of threat to the life and property of the petitioner and the members of his family.''
Mann, in his complaint, had alleged that his family-members were illegaly detained in prison in false cases, where they had to undergo the ``uncontrolled tyranny'' of the authorities which could be gauged from the fact that amongst the 15 persons arrested, only nine were produced before the magistrate after a gap of 40 hours.
The rest were not produced for more than a week and werekept in ``most inhuman and uncivilised conditions'' and were subjected to ``barbaric torture'', he had alleged.
Taking cognisance of the complaint, NHRC, in its earlier order, had said, ``The series of transactions indicating a course of action by the concerned authorities prima facie do not rule out the likelihood of systematic course adopted for the harassment of the petitioners, which if true, would be serious violation of the petitioners human rights.''
Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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