Mira-Bhayandar: In a significant development, the National Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has ordered the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police to conduct detailed investigations into the allegations levelled by Mira Road resident-Rajendra Goyal against DCP-Amit Kale for harassment and keeping him under house arrest for five days without any valid reasons. A police inspector is also said to be under the scanner of investigations.
About The Incident
The incident dates back to 2022 when Goyal alleged that he was not only threatened and booked in a false case by the police but also kept under house arrest in an illegal manner for five days between 23 to 29 September purportedly on the orders issued by Kale. According to Goyal, the police injustice followed after he filed an intervention application in the court opposing the pre-arrest bail plea moved by a former BJP legislator in an offence registered against him and his wife by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in May-2022 in a disproportionate case (DA).
No Action Taken Till Now
Despite his pleas to the MBVV police and the state police complaint authority (PCA), no action was taken, prompting Goyal to seek the intervention of the NHRC which considered the complaint (file number 860/13/30/2024) vide its proceedings dated 2, May, 2024 and directed its registry to transmit a copy of the complaint to the police commissioner for appropriate action within 8 weeks. However, when the NHRC observed that allegations levelled by the complainant had not been addressed, it considered it as an act of willful disobedience of its directions.
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NHRC Directs Its Registry To Send A Copy Of The Complaint To The Commissioner
Consequently, the NHRC directed its registry to send a copy of the present complaint to the commissioner to take appropriate action in the matter and submit an action taken report (ATR) within four weeks failing which the commission would be constrained to invoke coercive steps under section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights (PHR) Act, 1993 which grants the NHRC the same powers as a civil court when investigating complaints. NHRC’s consultant (law) L.M.Pathak in his letter dated 7, August, 2024 has intimated the police commissioner regarding the directions.
