NHRC not to intervene in Rajkumar issue

NEW DELHI, NOV 5: National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) has decided not to intervene in the proceedings in the Supreme Court relating to ...

NEW DELHI, NOV 5: National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) has decided not to intervene in the proceedings in the Supreme Court relating to withdrawal of the cases under TADA against 51 detenues in connection with the release of Kannada superstar Rajkumar held hostage by forest brigand Veerappan.

The full Commission, headed by Chairman J S Verma, at its recent meeting decided to stick to its earlier stand of not intervening in the proceedings of the Apex court.

Tamil National Movement leader P Nedumaran and two human rights activists involved in talks with outlaw Veerappan to secure the release of Rajkumar had last week appealed to NHRC to intervene in the Supreme Court case regarding the release of 51 TADA prisoners in Karnataka.

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In a memorandum given to the Commission, the threee missaries had said "it (NHRC) would be able to highlight the human rights violations that the present case involved and the need to uphold the common order of the TADA Court (dropping TADA charges) to enable the detenus’ release on bail.

The emissaries had also said if the NHRC pleaded itself in the case, it would give an opportunity to the Apex Court to allow resumption of the stalled NHRC panel inquiry into human rights violations by the Special Task Force of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka constituted to nab Veerappan.

However, NHRC expressed its inability to intervene saying "We are of the considered view that there is no occasion for the Commission to seek intervention in the proceedings in the Supreme Court."

"Moreover, it is reasonable to assume the viewpoint that the NHRC is sufficiently well-known and also known to the state government of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu which are parties in the Supreme Court," NHRC said.

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The Commisson was approached earlier also regarding the matter, but NHRC had declined to intervene saying the case was pending in the Supreme Court in addition to the same being also before the Karnataka High Court.

"In view of the fresh request we have reconsidered the matter but we are still of the view that no intervention by the NHRC is required in the proceedings which have been closed in the Supreme Court after hearing the arguments," the full Commission said in its recent directive.

The directive further said "there is no material available to us to indicate, nor the media reports give any such indication that either or both of the state governments have relied on the view point of the NHRC for the purpose of deciding to withdraw the prosecution against the 51 detenues."

"No further action on this request is necessary," NHRC added while closing the case.