NHRC orders arrest, production of Pune Police Commissioner

National Human Rights Commission today asked the Maharashtra government to arrest and produce the Pune Police Commissioner for "willful disobedience" of its directions in connection of a case of rights violation of a man belonging to a scheduled caste.
The matter relates to the complaint of Kishan Namdev Godke alleging abduction and killing of his son on April 30, 2007 by some persons and alleged inaction by the local police.
According to an NHRC statement released today, the rights panel has taken a serious view of the "casual and mechanical" approach adopted by the Commissioner of Police, Pune, Maharashtra, that too in a matter relating to the human rights violation of a person of Scheduled Caste.

"The Commission found it to be indicative of willful disobedience of its directions. Therefore, it has asked the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra to arrest and bring the Commissioner of Police, Pune before the Commission on January 28, 2014 at 03:00 p.M," the statement said.
The Chief Secretary has also been asked to return this warrant duly executed on or before January 21, 2014 with an endorsement certifying the day on which and the manner in which, it has been executed or the reason why it has not been executed.
The Chief Secretary has been directed to release the said Commissioner of Police, Pune on bail of Rs 500 only with one surety of the like amount on his undertaking to appear before the Commission on the given date.

The matter was taken up during Open Hearing on Scheduled Castes matters by the Commission at Nagpur in January, 2013 but no response was filed by the Commissioner of Police, Pune on the day of hearing, the statement said.

He was thereafter called upon to submit the report within a period of four weeks, without fail, but the report was not received. Thereafter, he was issued reminders, conditional summons on May 6, 2013 and non-conditional summons on June 6, 2013 to appear before the Commission along with the reports.
"However, the said Commissioner of Police, Pune did not comply with the directions of the Commission," the statement said.

The Commission has observed that without complete reports, the Commission cannot decide the matter.