The South Indian Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), on Monday, urged the government to frame a law that will allow an independent judicial enquiry into shoot-outs by the police, instead of a departmental enquiry. This comes in the wake of a rise in the number of instances of police opening fire on habitual offenders and rowdy-sheeters.
Shiju Abraham Verghis, legal counsel for SICHREM, told The Hindu that they are planning to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the issue. “We do not follow an eye-for-an-eye approach. Being a democracy and a civilised society, we follow the reformative approach to curb crime and to protect basic human rights everyone is entitled to,” he said.
Addressing a press conference, Mathews Philip, Executive Director of SICHREM, said, “We even had a minister who boldly said ‘shoot madi, tondre ella’ (shoot them, no problem). This is a serious threat to human rights. The police are allowed to use reasonable force for self-defence. However, this provision is misused to the extent that shooting has become the reasonable force, and this reasonable force has become the norm.”
Margaret Sampath, Deputy Director, SICHREM, alleged that even the State Human Rights Commission is silent on the matter even though they have the power and responsibility to question and take suo motu cognisance and action. She urged the authorities concerned to immediately take notice of the issue.