The Hindu : NHRC awards Rs. 5 lakhs to police atrocity victim

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 24, 2002

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NHRC awards Rs. 5 lakhs to police atrocity victim

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Dec. 23. The National Human Rights Commission has awarded Rs. 5 lakhs as immediate interim relief to Usha Kiran Vajpayee, a victim of gross violation of human rights which had resulted in the amputation of her leg, rendering her permanently disabled for life.

The Commission had taken congisance of a complaint referred to it by Justice Ranganath Misra, former Chief Justice of India and Member of Parliament, according to which Ms. Usha Kiran was administering polio drops to children on December 10, 2000 in Chilli village of Uttar Pradesh.

Four police sepoys who were drunk came to the centre and misbehaved with her. One of the sepoys manhandled her and started abusing her.

When she fled towards home for safety, the sepoys fired at her and she was hit on the leg and it had to be amputated.

While one sepoy was sent to jail, others were suspended after a departmental enquiry. The Uttar Pradesh police informed the Commission that chargesheets had been filed against the accused and trial was on.

In its order, the Commission held that the facts disclosed gross violation of human rights resulting in amputation of a leg of the victim.

She was 37 years of age at the time of the incident and has now to contend with a permanent disability for life.

The circumstances in which the victim was made to flee to save herself from the clutches of the delinquent public servants, were also significant, the Commission observed and directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay Rs. 5 lakhs as immediate interim relief to the victim.

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