The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government over alleged police brutality against Dalits in the wake of the April 2 nationwide shutdown, a spokesperson said today.
The right's panel took suo moto cognizance of media reports alleging that several Dalits, falsely implicated in criminal cases, were jailed with no provision of bail even after six weeks of confinement.
Several incidents of abuse of power by the police on women and children were reported from the state, the panel said.
Seeking the Rajasthan chief secretary's reply within six weeks, the NHRC said the allegations of illegal arrest, physical torture and implication of people in false criminal cases raised serious issues of violation of human rights and were a matter of concern, the NHRC said.
The commission also sought the state government's response on the action taken against the culprits, it said.
The April 2 shutdown by Dalit groups to protest against alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, by a Supreme Court verdict led to violence and arson in different parts of the country, including Rajasthan.