National Human Rights Commission ensures Gujarat government pays kin of fake encounter victim

NEW DELHI: Taking a tough stance and setting aside the contentions of the Gujarat government, National Human Rights Commission has ensured that the state government paid Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the victim of a fake encounter at Gandhi Nagar in 2007.

According to an official statement released today, NHRC member Justice D Murugesan set aside the contentions of Gujrat government and directed it to pay Rs 5 lakh as monetary relief to the kin of the victim Rahim Kasam Sumra who was killed by police in an encounter in Gandhi Nagar on January 8, 2007, which the state government eventually paid.

The NHRC took up the matter on a complaint from the brother of the victim, alleging that Rahim was killed by the Gandhi Nagar police in a fake encounter.

"The Commission on the basis of material on record, found that the theory of genuine encounter by police did not hold ground and ordered monetary relief that was contested by the state government on the basis of its report," the statement said.

In a report of Gandhi Nagar SP submitted to the commission, Rahim was labelled as one of the ten most wanted criminals in the district.

However, Justice Murugesan noted that the clarifications contained several procedural and forensic lapses and lacunae, including absence of fingerprints and sketch map of the spot of encounter as well as lack of GD entries of the police teams involved in the alleged encounter.