The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India has taken cognisance of the brutal murder of Rupesh Pandey, the 17-year-old from Jharkhand. Pandey was brutally lynched by a Muslim mob during a Saraswati Puja immersion procession at Dulmaha village, Barhi police station, Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand on February 6, 2022. The statutory authority has written to the Superintendent of Police in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, requesting that he submit an action taken report to it within four weeks from the date of receipt of this letter.
The email to the SP further read that if any notice, order, or other communication from the State Human Rights Commission has been received by the concerned authorities, they must inform the Commission. If so, the Commission should receive a copy of the order within four weeks.
“Let a copy of the complaint be also transmitted to the Secretary of the concerned State Human Rights Commission, calling upon him to inform this Commission the date of cognizance, if any, taken at their end in the instant matter within four weeks,” further read the communique.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India took cognisance of the brutal murder based on a complaint it received dated February 10, 2022, from one Madan Mohan Priye. In the complaint he detailed the brutality inflicted on the murdered 17-year-old boy on the night of February 6, 2022. He demanded a monetary compensation of Rs 10 lakhs for the kins of the deceased as well as a fair and prompt probe by the CB-CID department of Jharkhand police.
OpIndia had accessed the copy of Rupesh’s post-mortem report which had revealed gruesome details. According to Dr Gaurav Sharma, blood clots had developed and internal organs had failed as a result of the damage inflicted upon him. Injury marks were found all over the body, including the eyes, ears, chest, belly, and legs. Strong and heavy items were used in the attack. A sharp weapon has been used against him. Strangulation attempts were made. The ear, neck, and lower sections of the chest all had wounds.
Rupesh Pandey’s murder had been reported to the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The Child Rights body had issued notices to the Jharkhand government and the Hazaribagh district administration, seeking details of the incident leading to the death of the minor boy. On February 21st, Priyank Kanoongo, the organization’s chairperson, had visited Barhi in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district to take stock of the investigation into the killing of Rupesh Pandey.
According to reports in the media, he has ordered that the team of physicians who conducted Rupesh’s post-mortem be present, as well as Superintendent of Police Hazaribagh, Case Investigator, DCPO, and CWC.
Rupesh Pandey was murdered by a mob of Muslims in a fight that emerged at the time of Saraswati Puja’s Idol Visarjan on 6th February 2022. The 17-year old son of Sikandar Pandey was part of the religious procession which faced unexpected opposition from the mass of Muslims while passing from an area called Lakhna Dulmaha Imambada of the Nai Taand village in Hazaribagh. The spot comes under the Barhi police station. The mob engaged in the ruckus with the Hindu devotees. In this, Rupesh Pandey was badly beaten. He was declared dead when taken to the hospital.
The brutal murder of the Hindu youth created a furore with people accusing the state government of shielding the accused. Thousands of people including the members of Bharatiya Janata Party, BJYM, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Vishwas Hindu Parishad took to the streets to protest the brutal killing of Pandey. However, instead of punishing the culprits, the state govt of Jharkhand took action against these Hindu groups protesting against the murder and demanding justice. The Jharkhand Police registered an FIR against the protesters who had organised a candle march in Chatra condemning the murder.
