SC extends time for states to respond to NHRC safeguard guidelines

New Delhi, Oct 3 (UNI) The Supreme Court today granted eight weeks further time to those states who have not responded to the show-cause notice issued by the apex court on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to all states and Union Territories in the country to follow safeguard guidelines in case of police encounter.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan, V S Sirpurkar and P Sathasivam granted time when it was informed by petitioner Ramesh Reddy's counsel that only eight states have filed their response till now out of 37 respondents. According to the petitioner, there are eight Human Rights Commission only in 17 states of the country, while other states are without Human Rights Commission.

The petitioner has alleged that state authorities and Union Territories were not adhering to the guidelines and safeguards laid down by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as well as this honourable Court.

He has also sought directions from the apex court to all the states and Union Territories to submit the reports of all killings in encounter as well as custodial death to NHRC for a proper follow-up action against the police officials found indulging in killing of innocent people in such encounter to get quick promotions and also to win galantry awards.

The petitioner, who is an advocate, has also pleaded that no policeman should be rewarded unless and until it is proved beyond all reasonable doubts that the encounter was genuine and not fake.

The petition also cited the case of Sohrabuddin fake encounter in which Gujarat police officials allegedly killed Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi in a fake encounter.

UNI SC SLD RP RK1940