‘80 % cases in PSHRC are against police’

[Liono]

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=144692

‘80 % cases in PSHRC are against police’

Megha Mohan

Phillaur, August 19 EIGHTY per cent of the cases of human rights violation that we receive are against Punjab police. While some complain of high handedness, others allege injustice at the hands of police. Thorough sensitisation of police personnel on human rights is the need of the hour.

This was said by member of Punjab State Human Rights Commission, Justice R.L Anand (retd), while he was addressing top cops in a meeting held at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy. Justice Anand was a part of the delegation from PSHRC that visited the PPA to sensitise policemen on human rights and the importance of giving them due recognition.

He said reports of incidents of custodial deaths, custodial rapes and torture are frequently being received by the commission. ‘‘No one has any right to infringe upon a man’s basic right. It’s not that if someone has committed a crime we should torture or misbehave with that person. The Punjab police needs to get more sensitive towards human rights,’’ Justice Anand added.

He appreciated the efforts of PPA in imparting education in human rights through regular as well as short-term programmes. ‘‘But these programmes are not meant only for theory but also for being implemented. Cops need motivation to implement things successfully,’’ he said.

Deputy Director and Dean, PPA, Dr D.J Singh gave a presentation on the PPA vision, human rights training curriculum, Ph.D research projects at PPA and M.Phil dissertations completed through PPA. He said that the PPA also imparts training to Bhutan, Maldives, Afghan and Palestinian police officers. PPA plans to hold special re-orientation courses on human rights for constables and head-constables at Police Research and Training Centre in Jahan Kalan, he added.

PSHRC member N.K Arora, secretary R.C Nayyar, IGP of commission H.R Chadha, ADGP training-cum-director PPA R.S Gill, DIG-cum-Joint Director of academy B.K Garg, Dr S.S Chauhan, Sukhmohinder Singh Sandhu, G.S Sandhu, R.S Khatra and Kamal Kumar also attended the function.