NHRC for action against SDM and police officers in a dowry death case

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended action against Prakash Chandra, who was Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Seelampur in New Delhi in 1999, and the then Officer in-charge of a local police station for their negligence in not registering an FIR in a dowry death case.

New Delhi Aug 9, : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended action against Prakash Chandra, who was Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Seelampur in New Delhi in 1999, and the then Officer in-charge of a local police station for their negligence in not registering an FIR in a dowry death case.

"If the Right to Life, as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution, is endangered or taken away and the concerned authorities show an attitude of indifference or insensitivity to such incident, that the concerned authorities are prima facie guilty of omission in preventing the violation of human right," the Commission observed.

The Commissions' observation came in a 1998 dowry death related case in which it observed that the Supervising Police officers had been casual in their approach and there has been omission on their part.

Sudha, wife of Rajesh Goel of Vijay Park had started living in her parent's house in West Bengal's Purulia district, and had complained to police of being harassed by her in-laws for dowry.

However, her husband and in-laws took her back after a compromise on August 4, 1998.

A month later, on September 4, 1998, Sudha parents' were informed about her death by her in-laws.

Her parents tried to lodge an FIR in Bajanpura police station complaining of Sudha being murdered. However, they found that officer-in-charge of the police station was reluctant to lodge an FIR.

Sudha's parents then moved to the NHRC for intervention.

On February 24, 1999, the Commission directed that the complaint be transmitted to DCP (North-East). Following which, the Commission received a report on March 10, 1999 stating that after making preliminary inquiry, the then SDM, Seelampur Prakash Chandra examined three persons but he did not make any direction for registration of FIR.

It was stated in the report that the local police would take action only after receiving a direction from the Office of SDM.

The Commission continued with its correspondence and on September 5, 2006, it received a letter from DCP (Vigilance) in which it was said that the record of inquest by Chand could not be traced in his office.

The Commission has now concluded that the Officer in-charge of the police station had not performed his duty of registering an FIR and the SDM Seelampur, who was to conduct an inquest, delayed it for almost 8 years.

ANI