NHRC orders investigation into post-poll violence in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: The national human rights commission (NHRC), taking suo-motu cognisance of reports in The Times of India regarding post-poll violence in West Bengal, has directed a team of its officers to conduct an on-the-spot, fact-finding investigation into the matter and submit a report to it preferably within two weeks.
The NHRC action comes even as the home ministry is yet to receive a report from the West Bengal government on the post-poll attacks on political workers belonging to the opposition camp in the state. The ministry had asked the chief secretary on Monday to submit the report "at the earliest".
NHRC, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said it considered the post-poll violent attacks in West Bengal as "a fit case of alleged violation of Right to Life of the innocent citizens". It referred to media reports published in various newspapers including the Times of India on Tuesday, regarding the death of some persons in the violence on May 3.
"The political workers allegedly clashed with each other, party offices were torched down and some homes were ransacked and valuables also looted. District administration and local law and order enforcement agencies appear not to have acted to stop such violation of human rights of the affected persons," it recalled.
The commission added that it has now taken suo-motu cognizance of the matter and requested its DIG (Investigation) to constitute a team of the officers of the investigation division of the commission to conduct an on the spot fact finding investigation and to submit a report at the earliest, preferably within two weeks.