How the NHRC Failed G.N. Saibaba

How the NHRC Failed to Protect G.N. Saibaba https://thewire.in/rights/how-the-nhrc-failed-to-protect-g-n-saibaba
Henri Tiphagne and Edgar Kaiser .. Retired Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) S. Jalaja, who was once NHRC’s joint secretary and had served as the NHRC’s special rapporteur, studied Maharashtra prisons and submitted a report on July 17, 2017. The report revealed harsh truths about the Nagpur prison where Saibaba was detained. These included staff shortage and overcrowding of prisoners among other things. She specifically noted Saibaba’s poor medical condition and recommended that “an independent medical team from AIIMS should assess his condition.” This NHRC report directly contradicted the investigation report submitted to the commission in the cases filed by the HRDA. While the NHRC relied on the investigation report provided by the police, it chose to overlook its own special rapporteur’s report on the prison where Saibaba was detained.  ..Despite the international community – and even individuals within the NHRC – becoming aware of the poor prison conditions that contributed to Saibaba’s deteriorating health, it was disheartening for an institution with such a mandate to simply dismiss these concerns. The NHRC and its former chairpersons – Justices K.G. Balakrishnan, Cyric Joseph, H.L. Dattu, Arun Kumar Mishra and Vijaya Bharathi Sayani – are answerable to this democracy for the institution’s wilful silence on Saibaba’s mistreatment. They all owe an apology to the people of this country for failing to exercise their powers to prevent the death of a dedicated academician who devoted his life to civil liberties and the socio-economic and cultural rights of India’s vulnerable populations.