NHRC seeks comments from WB Govt on death of infant in police st

New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission has asked for comments within two weeks from the West Bengal Government on the reported death of a newborn girl, as policemen were questioning the mother in the Howrah Police station.

Taking suo-motu cognizance of a newspaper report on the incident, the Commission has directed that the copy of the article be sent to the state Chief Secretary and DGP for the comments.

''If the contents of the report are true, they raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of women and children,'' it said.

According to the December 1 report, the four-day-old girl died of hunger and cold on November 29 as the policemen questioned her mother.

Ms Soma Giri, who the report said was ''mentally challenged'', was picked up a day earlier from Palpara, for bearing a child out of the wedlock.

Soma's mother, who was accompanying her, pleaded to the policemen to let Soma off for the night as the baby needed to be nursed and clothed.

The policemen, however, did not listen and as the temperature dipped, the baby died due to cold.

UNI NR VD DS1455