Tripura rights panel serves notices to police chief, DM over ethnic violence

The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) expressing shock and dismay over the recent ethnic violence in Ganda Twisa, has served notices to the Director General of Police (DGP) and the District Magistrate (DM) of Dhalai district, officials said.

The three-member rights panel said that inaction or negligence on the part of public servants in preventing the commission of a violation of human rights is also actionable and, therefore, the notices are issued to submit the preliminary report within three weeks for further course of action.

A senior THRC official said that the reports of large-scale violence, arson, looting etc “shocked the conscience of this Commission” to see in the news in the media that no police case has yet been registered and no person has yet been booked for such ghastly offences.

The THRC, headed by Swapan Chandra Das, retired Tripura High Court judge, in its notice to the DGP and Dhalai DM said that the incident as reported, shockingly violates human rights, especially the right to life and right to live with dignity.

“In a democracy like India and especially in the state of Tripura, people live in peace and harmony and there is no place for such inhuman acts of violence. The administration needs to be very prompt and active to deal with the miscreants who indulge in such activities of taking law in hand for their whims and caprice and thereby let loose violence like medieval era,” said that notice, accessed by IANS.

Before initiating a formal inquiry, the Commission likes to ask for a report from the DGP, Tripura, as to what action has been taken by the law enforcing agency to nab the offenders of such ghastly offences and whether any criminal case has been registered, and if so, under what penal sections and whether any miscreant has been arrested in connection with the alleged offence.

The THRC directed the District Magistrate, Dhalai District to inquire into the incident through the civil agency and to submit a report as to what sorts of action has been taken to rehabilitate the victims and to settle them in the same position before the alleged incident.

Retired District and Session Judge Udit Choudhuri and retired IPS officer Bimal Kanti Ray are the two other members of the THRC.

Large-scale arson, attacks and looting took place in Ganda Twisa on July 12 after the death of a tribal college student Parameshwar Reang, who succumbed to injuries after being assaulted on July 7.

According to officials, over 40 houses, 30 shops, and many vehicles were either burnt or severely damaged by the attackers in Ganda Twisa situated 130 km southeast of Agartala.

Over 300 villagers took shelter in special camps after the violence.

The Tripura government has sanctioned Rs 6 lakh in favour of Kharagaram Reang, father of Parameshwar Reang while Rs 1.54 crore has been sanctioned for providing financial assistance to 165 affected families.

Already financial assistance of Rs 25,000 was given to each of the affected families as interim relief by the district administration, an official said.