Srinagar: As a large number of cases, ranging from harassment to misuse of official positions against police officers are pending before the J&K State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), the rights body on Thursday proposed obtaining of a certificate from it before promoting any police personnel in the state.
The proposal was made in a meeting between SHRC members headed by its acting chairman Rafiq Fida and police top brass led by Director General Ashok Prasad at Circuit House Jammu, official sources told Kashmir Reader.
“It was also proposed that before considering any case for next promotion, a certificate must to be obtained from the Commission clarifying that there is no case pending in the Commission against the police personnel whose cases are considered for promotions, as is being obtained regarding other criminal cases and departmental enquiries,” the SHRC team underlined, the sources said.
“This will serve as a check upon the role and functioning of Police officers/officials. It was also emphasized that Police Investigative Wing of the Commission has an important role and function in the Commission, the work of which, however, gets hampered in the absence of vehicles and other technical support that defeats the very purpose of the Investigative Wing in the Commission.”
In the meeting, sources said, it was emphasized upon the DGP that for sustained peace and progress in the state, rule of law must prevail in the system, so that people have full faith in the democratic set up, where police has a definite role and duties.
“Otherwise non-observance of the rule of law leads to lawlessness, violence and disorder.”
Sources said that it was also made to understand in the meeting that people have full faith in the rule of law, who approach the Commission with firm belief in the system and hope that their genuine grievances will be redressed.
However, they said, the members told the DGP that it takes a year or more to receive reports from the Police Department and the district administration as a result of which large numbers of cases has piled in the Commission.
However, sources said, the DGP assured that human rights will be upheld and protected in the state and, henceforth, requisite reports will be submitted to the Commission within the possible minimum time span.
It was also stressed upon the DGP that the Commission conducts a proper and foolproof enquiry in the allegations of any violations regarding human rights.
“Right from obtaining reports from the police as well as district administration, to the filing of rejoinder or further presentation by the complainants and adducing evidence and hearing arguments, the judicial proceedings in the Commission leave no stone unturned to unearth the facts and, then, the observations/recommendations are made on merits after the appreciation of full facts and circumstances on ground and records on file and observance of rules and regulations.”
The SHRC team observed that in spite of the prolonged legal proceedings in the Commission, the recommendations so made are re-investigated at the ground level, which “kills the very purpose of the recommendations and goes contrary to the basic provisions of J&K Protection of Human Rights Act, 1997.”
Such a procedure, the team said, is not allowed to happen outside the state and needs to be curbed and stopped immediately.
Besides Fida, S. Amalok Singh (Member), Ghulam Hassan Shah (SP) and Anil Mangotra, (CPO) participated in the meeting from SHRC while the DGP was accompanied by Dr. B. Srinivas, IGP CID and Tashi Rigzin, Director Prosecution PHQ.

Reader correspondent