NHRC asks Rajasthan chief secretary to arrest Bikaner DM

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked Rajasthan Chief Secretary C.K.Mathew to arrest the District Magistrate of Bikaner for his willful disobedience of its directions.

It instructed Mathew to arrest and bring the erring official before the commission on January 28, 2014 by 3 p.m.

Mathew 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 further directed to release the said District Magistrate, Bikaner, 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 relates to the death of an under trial prisoner, Kani Ram on November 26, 2011, in the custody of Central Jail, Bikaner.

It said that several letters and reminders had been sent to the District Magistrate, Bikaner, calling upon him to submit the requisite reports in the matter, which he did not provide.

The Director General (Investigation) of the NHRC finally apprised the commission of the non-responsive attitude of the said district magistrate.

The commission has observed that the post-mortem report cannot said to be a complete document to ascertain the cause of death.

In the absence of inquest proceedings and opinion of the medical board, the commission has not been able to know the final cause of the death of Kani Ram.