NHRC team to investigate Orissa attacks on Christians

New Delhi, Jan 1 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will send an investigation team to the Kandhamal district of Orissa to get a first hand information on the December 24-25 violence against Christians in the violence, an NHRC spokesperson said here today.

The State Chief Secretary and the DGP have also been asked to furnish the details of the injured and the casualties, the spokesperson added.

The NHRC has asked the State Chief Secretary and the police to give a detailed report on the damage caused to properties there.It also asked the Chief Secretary to specify the steps taken to provide relief and compensation to the affected persons and institutions, the spokesperson said.

The moves were in response to a memorandum given by a delegtaion of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) to the NHRC Chairperson S Rajendra Babu here yesterday, urging for NHRC's interventon to safeguard the Christians and their institutions. The memorandum alleged that the attacks were planned.

Meanwhile, a group of NGOs also submitted a memorandum to the Chairperson alleging that 5000 people had been affected by these attacks and about 600 houses had been damaged. They also alleged that the state police had sided with the perpetrators of violence and dissuaded the victims from lodging complaints, the spokesperson added.

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