The Hindu : National : Custodial deaths of SCs: panel seeks data

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

National

National

Custodial deaths of SCs: panel seeks data

Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: The Chairman of the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes, Suraj Bhan, has alleged that the situation in Punjab was such that that it had to consider means to "save the SCs from the Punjab Police."

Dr. Bhan was interacting with reporters after meeting top officers of the civil and police administration of the State here on Wednesday. He sought statistics related to the custodial deaths of SC people and other alleged violations of the Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act 1998.

Dr. Bhan said that there had been an alarming increase in such incidents since June 2004 in Punjab, which had the highest percentage of SCs in the country. Other States reported higher incidents of atrocities but Punjab'scustodial deaths were a cause for alarm.

Dr. Bhan said that the Punjab Government had not acknowledged a letter by his predecessor in 2002.

The Punjab Government has assured the deployment of an officer from the SC at the SHO level, in sensitive areas across five districts.

Chief Secretary Jai Singh Gill assured the Commission that within a week, the Government would set up vigilance committees to monitor the implementation of the statute.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section