PSHRC asks ADGP Crime to probe against errant policemen

Chandigarh, Apr 7 (UNI) The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) today ordered an inquiry against errant policemen after it found that a manager of a cooperative bank was falsely implicated in a cheating case and harassed by the Fatehgarh Sahib police.

PSHRC members B C Rajput and N K Arora had ordered a probe after observing that Ashok Singh Mann, manager of a Central Coopperative Bank Ltd, was being harassed by the police and falsely booked under sections 406/409/420467/468/471 and 120 B of the Indian penal code.

''He (Mr Mann) is innocent, being harassed by the police'' and it was also noticed that the complainant's representation to the SSP, Fatehgarh Sahib in this regard did not yield any result,'' the PSHRC members observed, while fixing May 22 2006 as the next date of hearing.

The probe report has been sought from the ADGP (Crime) under section 12 of the Protection if Human Rights Act, 1993.

Mr Mann had lodged a complaint with the PSHRC saying the police had falsely booked him in a cheating case and he had his family members were being harassed by the police personnel of the Mandi Gobindgarh police station.

The Commission had then conducted an inquiry and found that the complain lodged was correct.

In another case of human rights violation, Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) has assured the PSHRC that it would shift the unauthorised slum colony near Sector 48 C in Mohali within 10 days the residents of the area had lodged a complaint that an unauthorised colony had been established adjacent to their apartments at the behest of some influential people and land encroachers.

The Commission has given May three as the deadline to PUDA for shifting the unauthorised slum colony from the said site. The copy of the PSHRC order has also been sent to the Chief Administrator, PUDA and to the Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman.

UNI PS AK RN1733