NHRC seeks report on pregnant pillion rider's death in TN

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident where a pregnant woman was killed after a traffic police allegedly kicked the two-wheeler on which she was traveling with her husband in Tamil Nadu.

The 30-year-old pregnant woman died on the spot after receiving severe head injuries in Thuvakudi area near Trichy on March 7. Her husband was also seriously injured in the accident.

Condemning the incident, the Commission issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

It has also observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, amount to the worst example of police brutality.

The Commission has also asked that the report should include the details about the action taken against the accused police official and relief granted to the family of the deceased woman as well as the health condition of her husband and the status of the medical treatment being provided to him.

The Commission asked the Director General of Police (DGP) of Tamil Nadu to issue suitable directions to the state police personnel to behave in a sensible manner while on duty and respect the human rights of the citizens.

"Going by the media reports, the woman was not wearing helmet. The police officer could have easily sensed that hitting a moving vehicle may cause grievous injuries to her if she fell down. The Right to Life of the innocent woman has been grossly violated and the circumstances, as mentioned in the media reports, warrant stringent action against the guilty policeman," a release by the NHRC stated.

Reportedly, the policeman, who has been arrested, was chasing the couple as the victim's husband was not wearing a helmet.