NHRC issues notices to UP, Chhattisgarh govts

Taking a serious note of the media reports that around 7,000 hysterectomies have been conducted over the past two and half years, the rights body has sought a report from the Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary within six weeks on the issue.

The NHRC termed the allegations as a serious issue of violation of human rights of women and said "the report had alleged private hospitals and nursing homes in Chhattisgarh have claimed Rs two crore under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) for removing the wombs of 1800 women, when in most of the cases there appeared to be no justification for carrying out such surgeries."

Taking suo motu cognisance, the rights body has issued another notice to Uttar Pradesh government over reports of a 22-year-old Dalit youth losing his legs after allegedly being tied to a railway track by Gujjars.

The NHRC has issued notices to the State Chief Secretary and the District Magistrate of Ghaziabad asking for reports in four weeks on what legal action had been taken against the accused involved in the incident and whether government proposes to grant any compensation to the victim under the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act

According to NHRC, the victim Tika Ram was assaulted over a dispute over 4.75 bighas of Panchayat land allotted to the 60 Jatav families by the state government.

The Gram Pradhan had occupied the land and to restrict the movements of Jatavs, he had built a seven-foot high wall around the land.

On March 14, the Gujjars had beaten up Jatavs severely injuring them in broad day light and tied him with the railway track due to which Ram lost his legs, the NHRc said quoting reports.

He was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where doctors had to amputate his legs and they were not positive about his survival.