NHRC asks Delhi Police to give Rs 3 lakh compensation to kin of auto driver who died after hitting barricade
May 25, 2021
New Delhi [India], May 25 : The NHRC has asked Delhi Police Commissioner to release compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of Dharmendra, an auto driver, who died after allegedly hitting a police barricade on Geeta Colony flyover.
The NHRC also gave directions that proof of payment should be submitted to the commission within four weeks.
The NHRC passed the order on the petition filed by human rights lawyer and activist Radhakanta Tripathy.
Tripathy alleged that the victim succumbed to injuries after hitting the police barricade and it happened due to the negligence of police officials who had put the "police barricade in wrong and negligent manner in the middle of Geeta Colony flyover".
NHRC also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to "send details of final departmental action taken against delinquent police officials for whose negligence the poor auto driver died".
The NHRC said that when the driver was hit, got injured and fell unconscious and there was bleeding, the police "instead of taking him to the hospital waited till his family members reached the spot and took him to the hospital". "Till that time he was dead," the commission said.
Tripathy said NHRC had received reports from Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vigilance, Delhi, along with the report of Deputy Commissioner of Police, North District, Delhi. They informed that the viscera of deceased was sent to FSL.
The NHRC found apparent from the report that police officials have not performed their duty properly and had not taken immediate steps to save the life of the victim. If those steps would have been taken then possibly the life of the victim could have been saved, the commission said.
The NHRC passed the order despite heavy resistance from Delhi Police including its vigilance wing.
The commission said that human right of the victim has been violated and the state is vicariously liable for it.
NHRC had issued a show cause notice and after considering the reply of the Delhi Police Commissioner asked him to release monetary compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of the victim, submit a report along with proof of payment to the Commission along with the details of departmental action taken against these delinquent police officials.
