NEW DELHI : The Centre on Wednesday constituted a high-level committee to investigate the serial killings at Nithari village of Noida in Uttar Pradesh and the possible lapses in tracing the missing children.

The four-member panel has representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Women and Child Development (WCD), and the Uttar Pradesh Government.

It will look into the administration's efforts to trace the children. It will assess the assistance provided to the affected families.

Besides recommending steps to prevent such incidents, it will go into the modus operandi and the motive of the accused.

The panel has been asked to submit its report in two weeks and it will be made public.

Minister of State for Women and Child Development (Independent charge) Renuka Chowdhury said the enquiry was meant not to point the finger at any Government but to find out why the police and the administration did not respond to the situation. The probe would examine whether there were any administrative failures.

Chaired by Manjula Krishnan, Joint Secretary WCD Ministry, the panel will comprise V. N. Gaur, Joint Secretary (Police), Union Home Ministry; Balvinder Kumar, Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, U.P., and J. S. Kochher, Director, WCD Ministry.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought a status report from the State Government. In a letter to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, NCW chairperson Girija Vyas reminded him of the Commission's one-member inquiry committee report in August 2005 when about half a dozen girls went missing.

The parents approached the NCW when the police refused to file an FIR in most cases. The enquiry was conducted by Nirmala Venkatesh, Commission member, and its report was sent to the State Government.

The NCW on Tuesday sent notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police over the killings.The National Human Rights Commission has also sent notices to the two officials.

Compensation raised

PTI reports from Lucknow:

The Uttar Pradesh Government has increased the compensation from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh to each of the victims' families.

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