NHRC asks UP to pay Rs 5 lakh to dead boy's family

National Human Rights Commission has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay Rs 5 lakh to the parents of a 15-year-old boy, who died during a mysterious blast while working at a police officer's house, an official statement said.

According to the commission, Mukesh, a Dalit, was sent by his parents to a police officer's home to help with the domestic chores. However, the boy died in a mysterious blast in the official residence of the police officer.

"The incident happened while Mukesh was cleaning the official residence of the Station Officer in the campus of Police Station located in Obra, district Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh in the evening of August 7, 2011," said the statement.

The commission said that it found it very strange that the police authorities could not gather any forensic evidence to find out the cause of explosion in a government house in which a boy was killed.

"It could not accept the reports that nobody responsible for the blast could be identified and chargesheeted. It also could not accept the stand of District Magistrate, Sonebhadra that it was not possible to grant any monetary relief to the family members of the deceased," said the statement.

NHRC had also asked the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh to conduct an enquiry in the matter through a responsible agency and find out the actual cause of explosion and the person behind this blast.

The commission recommended that Uttar Pradesh pay Rs 5 lakh as relief to the next of kin of deceased Mukesh, following which the state government was asked through its Chief Secretary to submit proof of payment and a status report of the enquiry, returnable within six weeks.

--IANS

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