PIL questions human rights body’s inaction

Answer this: If the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has received over 28,000 cases of human rights violations, how many would it have recommended for action? If the reply is a few thousands, or even hundreds, you have got it wrong.
The correct answer is 39. And, of them, action against the erring public servants was taken in only eight cases.

These amazing statistics are mentioned in a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by Dombivili businessman Pushkar Damle, in the Bombay High Court. Damle’s PIL, which is supported by information sought under the Right to Information Act, has urged the court to take action against the erring officers, saying the figure for action recommended and taken are improbably low.

As admitted by MSHRC, it had 28,083 complaints as on June 30, 2008, of which 24,032 were summarily dismissed while 39 complaints were recommended for action and of them, in only eight were action taken against the public servants. The PIL, which also lists other irregularities at the MSHRC, has been filed and is likely to be heard in the first week of April. As per the HR Act, the Centre issued a notification to Maharashtra government to appoint special public prosecutors in the human rights courts. The PIL says that even after eight years, that has not been done.