. i . Contents Preface 1 1 Introduction 6 2 Ten years of the Commission in retrospect 10 A] Working of the Statute 10 B] Handling of complaints 13 C] Positions taken by the Commission on major human rights issues 15 1) Terrorism & Human Rights 16 2) Guidelines in respect of Custodial deaths/rapes, Post-Mortem examinations, "Encounters", and other related issues 17 3) Police, Prisons and the Administration of Criminal Justice 18 4) The Three "Unfreedoms" - Hunger, Illiteracy, Early Death: Striving for Economic and Social Rights 18 5) The Rights of Women and Children 19 6) The Issue of "inclusiveness": Rights of Marginalized and Vulnerable Sections of Society 22 7) Review of Legislation and Treaties 25 8) Human Rights Education and the "Multiplier Effect" of Core Groups 26 9) Summing up 27 ANNUAL REPORT 2002-2003 . ii . CONTENTS . 3 Situation in Gujarat 28 4 Civil Liberties 42 A] Protection of Human Rights in Situations of Terrorism & Insurgency 42 B] Custodial Deaths 54 C] Encounter Deaths 57 D] Systemic Reforms: Police 58 E] Working of Human Rights Cells in State Police Headquarters 60 F] Human Rights and Administration of Criminal Justice System 61 G] Custodial Institutions 62 1) Visits to Jails 62 2) Prison Population 64 3) Analysis of Prison Population as of 31 December 2001 65 4) Analysis of prison population as of 30 June 2002 65 5) Sensitization of Jail Staff 66 6) Prison Reforms 68 7) Visits to Other Correctional Institutions/ Protection Homes 68 H] Improvement of Forensic Science Laboratories 69 5 Review of Laws, Implementation of Treaties and Other International Instruments on Human Rights 70 A] Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) 70 B] Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 73 C] Protection from Domestic Violence Bill, 2002 73 D] Implementation of Treaties and other International Instruments 74 1) Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child 74 2) 1977 Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions 74 3) Convention Against Torture 75 4) Convention and Protocol on the Status of Refugees 75 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION . CONTENTS . iii . E] Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 76 F] Towards a New International Convention 78 G] Furtherance of 1993 United Nations Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities 79 6 Right to Health 82 A] Re-constitution of the Core Advisory Group on Health 82 B] Public Health and Human Rights 83 C] Maternal Anaemia and Human Rights 84 7 Rights of Women and Children 86 A] Trafficking in Women and Children 86 1) Action Research on Trafficking in Women and Children 86 2) Trafficking in Women and Children: Manual for the Judiciary for Gender Sensitization 88 3) Sensitization Programme on Prevention of Sex Tourism and Trafficking 90 4) NHRC, India - NHRC, Nepal Joint Project for Combating Cross-Border Trafficking 92 5) Steps for Prevention of Cross-Border Trafficking 93 B] Combating Sexual Harassment of Women at the Work Place 94 C] Harassment of Women Passengers in Trains 98 D] Rehabilitation of Destitute Women in Vrindavan 99 a) Accommodation/Housing 99 b) Pensions 99 c) Health Care 100 d) Providing LPG Connections 100 e) Income Generation 100 f) Social Security Cards 101 g) Cremation 101 h) Awareness Programme/Publicity 101 E] Colloquium on Population Policy - Development and Human Rights 101 ANNUAL REPORT 2002-2003 . iv . CONTENTS . 8 Rights of the Vulnerable 106 A] Abolition of Child and Bonded Labour 106 1) Child Labour: Efforts in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh 106 2) Bonded Labour: Efforts in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh 112 3) Child Labour & Bonded Labour: Efforts in the Southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala 118 B] Rehabilitation of People Displaced by Mega Projects 121 C] Rights of the Disabled 122 D] Rights of the Elderly 131 E] Problems of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes 131 F] Manual Scavenging 133 G] Human Rights in Situations of Natural Disasters 136 1) Monitoring of Cyclone Reconstruction Work in Orissa 136 2) Gujarat Earthquake 138 H] Racism: World Conference in Durban: discrimination based on 'race', 'caste' and 'descent' 140 9 Research Programmes and Projects 142 A] Preventing Employment of Children By Government Servants: Amendment of Service Rules 142 B] Musahar - a Socio-Economic Study 143 C] A Study to Assess the Degree of Realization of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in India 144 D] Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities - An NHRC-CHRC linkage project 145 E] Operation Oasis - A study related to mentally ill persons in West Bengal 146 F] Project for developing resource material for Human Rights Education in Indian Universities 146 10 Promotion of Human Rights Literacy and Awareness 148 A] National Action Plan for Human Rights and Action Plan for Human Rights Education 148 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION . CONTENTS . v . B] Human Rights Training for Civil Servants 151 C] Human Rights Training for Police Personnel 152 1) Joint Project with the British Council - Human Rights Investigation and Interviewing Skills & Human Rights and Custody management 152 2) Research Projects on Police Training 152 3) Promoting Good Custodial Practices 154 D] Human Rights Education for Para Military and Armed Forces 154 E] Internship Programme 154 F] Visits abroad : Conferences, Seminars and Workshops 155 G] Publications and the Media 157 H] Visits on behalf of the Commission to various States 160 11 Non-Governmental Organizations 162 12 State Human Rights Commissions and Human Rights Courts 164 A] State Human Rights Commissions 164 B] Human Rights Courts 166 13 Complaints Before the Commission 168 A] Pendency 168 B] Investigation of Cases 170 C] Illustrative Cases 2002-2003 171 POLICE EXCESSES a) Custodial Deaths 172 1) Death in custody of former Sarpanch of Gogon Village, Chuhur Singh due to negligence: Punjab (Case No.431/19/2000-2001) 172 2) Death of Bujhai in police custody due to torture: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.4238/96-97/NHRC) 173 3) Death of Radhey Shyam in police custody due to torture: Rajasthan (Case No.205/20/1999-2000-CD) 173 ANNUAL REPORT 2002-2003 . vi . CONTENTS . 4) Death of Karan Singh in police custody due to violence: Madhya Pradesh (Case No.1935/12/2000-2001-CD) 174 5) Death of Surendra in police custody: Kerala (Case No. 13353/96-97/NHRC) 175 b) Custodial Torture 176 6) Custodial torture of Zamir Ahmed Khan: Uttar Pradesh (Case No. 14071/24/2001-2002) 176 7) Police beating of Jagdish Kawale leading to grievous injuries: Maharashtra (Case No. 1585/13/2001-2002) 178 8) Police high-handedness against a Teacher in Kota: Rajasthan (Case No. 1603/20/2001-2002) 179 c) Police Harrassment 180 9) Negligence of police personnel leading to wrongful confinement of Ikram-ud-din: Uttar Pradesh (Case No. 23239/24/1999-2000) 180 10) False implication of Navi Ullah under NDPS Act: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.13501/24/2000-2001) 181 DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY 11) Death of Shibu - delay in the provision of timely medical aid: Kerala (Case No. 136/11/2000-2001-ACD) 181 12) Custodial death of under-trial prisoner, Harjinder alias Jinda, due to negligence: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.8437/24/1999-2000-CD) 183 13) Murder of Manak Ram and grievous injuries to his son in jail: Rajasthan (Case No.263/20/98-99-ACD) 184 MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE 14) Removal of uterus due to medical negligence: Rajasthan (Case No. 1518/20/2000-2001) 185 VIOLATION OF RIGHTS OF CHILDREN/WOMEN 15) Atrocities on Smt Usha Kiran Vajpayee by police personnel: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.29929/24/2000-2001) 185 NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION . CONTENTS . vii . 16) Atrocities on inmates by the Superintendent, Probation Home, Devghar: Jharkhand (Case No. 177/34/2001-2002) 186 17) Exploitation of child labourers in Tonk: Rajasthan (Case No. 817/20/2001-2002) 187 18) Death of a minor boy, Chanderpal, owing to negligence by the Police: Uttaranchal (Case No.11150/24/1999-2000) 188 19) Bonded child labour : Andhra Pradesh (Case No. 443/1/2001-2002/FC) 189 20) Violation of the rights of children arising out of the practice of rituals: Tamil Nadu (Case No. 558/22/2002-2003) 189 VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE VULNERABLE SECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY 21) Atrocities on Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes - killing of five Dalits: Haryana (Case No. 1485/7/2002-2003) 190 22) Suicides of farmers : Andhra Pradesh (Case No. 444/1/2001-2002/FC) 192 HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY SECURITY FORCES 23) Kidnapping and killing of Harsinglhun Changsan by personnel of 32 Rashtriya Rifles: Manipur (Case No. 19591/96-97/NHRC) 193 OTHER IMPORTANT CASES 24) Death due to Electrocution (Case No. 17324/24/1999-2000) 194 25) Harassment of Shri Kumpampadom Thoman Skaria, by an Immigration Officer at the Mumbai Airport : Maharashtra (Case No.263/13/2000-2001) 195 26) Measures to prevent deaths due to Starvation: Orissa (Case No.37/3/97-LD) 197 ANNUAL REPORT 2002-2003 . viii . CONTENTS . d) Action Taken on the Cases reported in the Annual Report 2001-2002 199 1) Death of Sanjay Sitaram Mhasker due to custodial violence: Maharashtra (Case No.210/13/98-99-ACD) 200 2) Custodial death of Ram Kishore - Complaint by Uttar Pradesh Parjapati Samaj Vikas Parishad (Case No.483-LD/93-94) 200 3) Death of Lallan due to negligence in providing medical treatment: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.28302/24/1999-2000) 201 4) Death of Manoj Kumar due to torture by police: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.7955/96-97/NHRC) 201 5) Death of Shishu Rebe due to torture in police custody: Arunachal Pradesh (Case No.74/96-97/NHRC) 202 6) Death of Nageshwar Singh due to illegal detention and torture: Bihar (Case No.7482/95-96/NHRC) 202 7) False implication of Madhukar Jetley: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.2385/24/2000-2001) 203 8) Torture of Dayashankar by police: Uttar Pradesh (Case No.791/24/2000-2001) 203 9) Illegal detention and torture of D.M.