The Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Castes Commission has taken strong cognizance of the death of a 12-year-old boy in Limbda village of Chidgaon tehsil of Rohru subdivision and directed the police department to submit a detailed report within three days. This decision was taken at a meeting of the Commission, held today at Willis Park in Shimla in the presence of representatives of various Scheduled Caste organizations.
Commission Chairman Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman stated that the police should have initially registered the case under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. He added that the failure to register a case under the Act resulted in the accused being granted bail by the High Court, which is extremely serious and concerning.
He clarified that strict action will be taken against the culprits and compensation will be provided to the victim’s family in accordance with legal provisions. The President said that collective efforts are necessary to eradicate social evils, and that such incidents are extremely shameful in the 21st century.
The Commission also directed the police department to conduct a thorough investigation of other individuals involved and provide security to the victim’s family. The Chairman stated that the Chief Minister himself has taken cognizance of the matter and concrete steps are being taken to bring the culprits to justice.
He stated that the Scheduled Caste Commission is continuously monitoring such cases across the state, and anyone can directly file a complaint with the commission at hpstatecommisionforsc@gmail.com . The Chairman also noted that outside elements are suspected to be involved in the case, and strict action will be taken against them.
Commission members Vijay Dogra and Digvijay Malhotra also said that the culprits will not be spared under any circumstances, so that such incidents do not recur in the future.
At the meeting, DIG (Law and Order) Ranjana Chauhan informed that an FIR has been registered and DSP Rohru is investigating. She said that a woman has been named, and the other accused are being identified as part of the investigation. She assured the Commission and the community of a fair investigation.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar Society President Pritpal Mattoo, Safai Karamchari Sangh President Nagesh Balmikan, Councilor Bittu Pana, Urmila Kashyap and representatives of other social organizations were also present in the meeting.
It is noteworthy that earlier today, a meeting of the Commission was also held with the Director General of Police and other senior officers of the police department, in which the police chief was asked to ensure fair investigation of the case.
