Taking a serious view of reports about an indebted farmer being brutally assaulted by bank officials and police in Tamil Nadu, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP of the State.
The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that officials of a private bank with the assistance of police came to seize the tractor of a farmer and brutally attacked him and forcibly took him to a police vehicle, as they wanted to recover the money he had borrowed.
"The Commission, on the basis of the video clip and a news report has observed that such form of forcible recovery by itself amounts to human rights violation.
"Further, the torture and brutal attack on the person would be serious violation of human rights. Though, it approves the realization of debt through lawful means but totally disapproves the forcible recovery by torturing farmers," said an NHRC statement.
Accordingly, it issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Tamil Nadu government calling for reports within two weeks in the matter.
"It is in the common knowledge that private sector banks and financial institutions, in order to recover the loan advanced to individuals, particularly farmers, use police to brutalize the defaulters.
"The intemperate and immoderate attitude of the bank officials and the involvement of the police for such forcible recovery by torturing the farmers and their servants are largely prevalent in different states of the country," observed Justice, D Murugesan, Member, NHRC.
According to the video clip, and a news report, carried by a Tamil Newspaper today at least three police personnel had beating up Balan, a farmer.
He had availed a loan of Rs 3,80,000from a private bank during the year 2011, for purchase of a tractor. He has paid so far a sum of Rs 4,38,880.
The bank demanded a further payment of Rs 1,34,000 and notice was also issued in this regard. However, Balan did not pay back the said amount, the NHRC statement said.
On the date of incident when Balan was engaged in his farm land, he was forcibly pulled down from the tractor and was brutally beaten by the police, it added.
