National Human Rights Commission to suo motu take up farmer's suicide case

HYDERABAD: The National Human Rights Commission will suo motu take up the case of suicide of Gajendra Singh, during the farmers' rally organised by AAP in Delhi, if no official complaint is lodged with the panel, NHRC chief said today.

"We have not decided to take any suo motu action. There may be some complaint (filed with the commission). We do not need a complaint (to take up the issue). As all the members (of NHRC) are here (in Hyderabad), we have to get all the details to consider it," NHRC Chairperson K G Balakrishnan told reporters here.

"Of course, we will take up suo motu the case if there is no complaint. Tomorrow all the members will be in Delhi. Then we will take a decision. There may be some complaint by some people (by now). Then there is no question of suo motu," he added.

Balakrishnan, a former Chief Justice of India, and other members of the Delhi-headquartered Commission were here to participate in a three-day "Open hearing and Camp Sitting".

Singh (41), a farmer from Dausa in Rajasthan, hanged himself before a big crowd at the rally organised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to protest against the land acquisition Bill, at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.

On the issue of killing of 20 people in firing by Andhra Pradesh Police in Chittoor district early this month, Balakrishnan said the Commission's team would shortly visit the spot and draw up a report, based on which the human rights watchdog would come to a conclusion.

"It is more of an investigating team rather than a fact-finding team," he said.

He said NHRC has not formed any opinion on the basis of initial information about the incident and it needs to have all necessary documents on hand to come to a conclusion.

The panel has sought a report from the AP Government on the April 7 firing in Seshachalam forests near Tirupati.

The Commission is also looking into the killing of five undertrial prisoners in an alleged encounter on April 7 in Nalgonda district of Telangana while they were being brought to a court in Hyderabad for a hearing.

The Commission has ordered an inquiry by a judicial magistrate into the matter.