The former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Darmar Murugesan, who has been appointed as member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for a five-year term, assumed office on Saturday in the presence of the commission chairperson Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and others. Justice Murugesan (62) was a Judge of the Madras High Court from March 2000 before his elevation as Chief Justice in September 2012. He retired in June last.
During his nine-month tenure he was instrumental in setting up the fast track court in Saket for trying the Delhi gang rape case as well as the special court for trying the Italian marines case. He had asked the Delhi Police Commissioner not to spare any errant policeman for the lapses resulting in the gang rape. He directed that all private hospitals should admit victims of heinous crimes such as rape and murder or face serious consequences. Till then, private hospitals refused to admit such patients citing various compli-cations in medico-legal cases. He brought reforms in Tihar jail, ordered more night shelters for the homeless, conducted periodic surprise checks of city markets for checking pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and brought a ban on sale of junk food in schools.
