9 hrs ago
NHRC Reports Delays, Awards Compensation and Plans Bonded-Labour SOP
The National Human Rights Commission held hearings in Gujarat on September 2 and 3.
It examined complaints about deaths, police actions, bonded labour and other problems.
The Commission finished many of the cases it heard.
It also ordered or recommended money for people and families who suffered harm.
The total compensation discussed was Rs 3.5 crore.
The NHRC said government reports often come late, slowing down cases.
It said some bonded-labour investigations may miss workers because inspections happen too late.
The Commission plans to create clearer rules for investigating bonded-labour complaints.
NHRC Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian said government reports often arrive only after officers are ordered to appear personally.
The Commission disposed of 27 of 45 cases on September 2 and 46 of 57 cases during its September 3 sessions in Gujarat.
The NHRC awarded or recommended a total of Rs 3.5 crore in compensation over the two-day hearing.
A Gujarat woman in the Amreli unlawful-arrest case was awarded Rs 7.5 lakh, with the state allowed to recover the amount from responsible officers.
The Commission plans advisories and a standard operating procedure to improve investigations into suspected bonded labour.
- Who
- The National Human Rights Commission, led by Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian, with members Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and Vijaya Bharathi Sayani.
- What
- The NHRC held open hearings, disposed of cases, awarded or recommended compensation, and discussed delayed government reports and bonded-labour investigations.
- Where
- The hearings were held at the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
- When
- The hearings took place on September 2-3; the Amreli incident occurred in January 2025.
- Why
- The hearings were conducted to examine human-rights complaints and review government compliance and compensation reports.
NHRC Concerns
Officials’ Positions
Bonded-labour classification
NHRC Concerns
The NHRC said advance payments tied to a required period of work can create a legal presumption of bonded labour, even when officials do not initially view the arrangement that way.
Officials’ Positions
District magistrates reported that all 27 cases were not bonded-labour cases; the NHRC said inspections were often conducted after complainants had disappeared.
Police accountability
NHRC Concerns
The NHRC held that state compensation can be necessary even when police personnel face suspension, charges or criminal proceedings, and it fixed responsibility on officers in a custodial-suicide case.
Officials’ Positions
The NHRC chairperson said the police and revenue departments do not have systemic problems, describing the main issues as involving individuals at the point of service delivery.
Responsibility for compensation
NHRC Concerns
The Commission directed the Gujarat government to compensate the Amreli woman because police action against officials did not itself remedy her suffering.
Officials’ Positions
The state may recover the compensation from the responsible officers, while the police case remains pending in court.
Key facts
- Cases disposed
- 27 of about 45 cases on September 2; 46 of 57 cases during the September 3 sessions.
- Total compensation
- Rs 3.5 crore awarded or recommended over the two days.
- Amreli compensation
- Rs 7.5 lakh was ordered for a woman who alleged unlawful arrest and detention.
- Dahej incident
- Four workers died after inhaling toxic gases at a chemical plant; their families received Rs 2 crore.
- Bonded-labour cases
- The NHRC examined 27 cases in Gujarat involving district and sub-divisional magistrates.
- Government reports
- The NHRC said action-taken reports requested within two or four weeks often arrive only after personal-attendance notices are issued.
Quotes
Justice V Ramasubramanian
Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and retired Supreme Court judge
“We are now trying to develop an SOP to properly enforce the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act.”
indianexpress.com
“Therefore, we ordered compensation by the state government… no person can be condemned unheard.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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