New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission has asked union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to intimate about any custodial or encounter death within 24 and 48 hours respectively.
NHRC has sent a letter to Chief Secretary of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Commissioner Secretary of Union Territory of Ladakh.
Jaideep Govind, Secretary-General NHRC has requested both union territories to pass suitable instructions to the concerned for compliance of all instructions issued by the commission to send all requisite reports including postmortem, videography and magisterial enquiry reports etc in all custodial and encounter deaths.
An earlier state of Jammu & Kashmir was not under statutory obligation to follow the mandate of commission by sending intimations in cases of death in custody or encounter in view of protection given in Constitution in Protection of Human Rights Act but after the amendment of protection of human rights act in 2019 "there is no prohibition of exercising jurisdiction by Commission like in all other states and union territories." the statement by NHRC said.
The jurisdiction of Central body of NHRC extends to Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh from Oct 2019 after amendment in PHR 2019. NHRC head partial reduction in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganisation of state on August 5.
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