NHRC issues notices on juvenile’s release

NIRBHAYA GANGRAPE

NEW DELHI, Nov 24: After receiving a complaint from the parents of the 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who was brutally gang-raped and murdered on December 16, 2012, the tiol Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government seeking information about the imminent release of the juvenile convicted in the case.

In their representation, the parents of the victim wrote that “the juvenile, who was largely responsible for the death of their daughter and was the most brutal amongst all the offenders, is supposed to be released sometime in December”. They urged the commission to recommend to the government “to prepare a plan to protect the citizens from such delinquent juveniles post their release and also to strengthen the extant laws on the subject.”

“Such persons are a threat to the life and liberty of the common man. There should be a mechanism to keep a strict check on them so that people are not subjected to any risk of being harmed. The laws dealing with women and children should be strengthened.” the victim’s parents stated, adding that the rate of recidivism (committing crimes again) in such cases, is fairly high.

The complaints further urged the NHRC to recommend that the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SOR) which operates in countries like USA and Cada, should be ected in India.

The juvenile was convicted in the case and handed out a three-year sentence at juvenile home, the maximum sentence under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Observing that the complaints have undergone “extreme agony and pain after the incident of rape and murder of their daughter, and the fears expressed by them need to be looked into,” the NHRC directed the chief secretary of the Delhi government to submit  in two weeks a copy of pre-release or post-release plan for the juvenile offender in this case; a discharge order, if issued under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2007 and a report of the juvenile’s psychological assessment report, if conducted recently.

The NHRC also issued a notice to the secretary of the Union Home ministry seeking information about the action taken by the ministry on the complaints’ representation.