Date:12/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/12/stories/2006031215390400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

`Rights panel must be given more powers'

Special Correspondent

Demand for withdrawal of TESMA

CHENNAI: The Human Rights Commission should be vested with more powers on a par with the judiciary, according to the election manifesto of the Campaign for Custodial Justice and Abolition of Torture.

The manifesto, issued here on Saturday, was evolved after consultation with representatives of political parties on incorporating custodial reforms in their election manifestos in the run-up to the Assembly elections scheduled for May.

The manifesto demanded that the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act be immediately withdrawn and that a chairperson be appointed for the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women.

Other demands included producing an arrest warrant whenever making an arrest, free state legal aid for poor under trials, compensation for victims of police injustices and speedier disposal of trials.

Other demands

The manifesto also called for the ratification of the U.N. Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, abolition of the death penalty, release of all POTA detenus, end to all forms of violence against women, implementation of custodial reforms in police stations and review of the Prison Act.

Human rights standards should be enforced in public and private hospitals and the post-mortem report should be classified as a public document.

Section 197 of the Cr.P.Cm, which exempts government officials, magistrates and judges from penal action due to the immunity clause, must be repealed.

District Human Rights Courts should be immediately activated and preventive arrests made under Sec.151 of the Cr.P.C, Sec. 7 (1) (a) of the Cr.P.C Amendment Act and Sec.41 of the Madras City Police Act should be done away with.

No arbitrary arrest

"We urge the Government of Tamil Nadu and all political parties to pass resolutions calling for repeal of the sections which allow for preventive arrests, whereby thousands of innocent trade union workers, journalists, children, Dalits, women, party cadres etc., are arbitrarily arrested," the manifesto said.

M. Jeeva, convener and Ossie Fernandes, adviser, were present during the discussions.