New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned of strict action against the state government which is yet to respond to an earlier order on a petition filed over alleged apathy towards a mentally-retarded woman who gave birth to a child on the roadside after allegedly being raped.
“The Commission upon consideration of the response received from the authority concerned called for further report into the matter. The response has not been received within stipulated time. Issue reminder to the concerned authority calling for the requisite report within four weeks positively or the Commission shall be constrained to invoke coercive process under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993,” states the NHRC in a recent hearing.
A petition filed by advocate and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy from Odisha alleged that due to lack of medical care and alleged state apathy, a mentally-challenged woman gave birth to a child on the roads of Jagatpur in the Cuttack district July 26, 2016. The victim was said to have been deprived and denied basic human rights by the state authorities.
He requested the human rights watchdog to direct the Chief Secretary and the district administration of Cuttack to act immediately and to ensure nutrition, health care and rehabilitation of the mother and the child.
The NHRC had earlier sought report from the authorities June 9 but the response has not been received within the stipulated time. In the last week of September, NHRC issued a reminder to the authorities to submit report in four weeks, it has not been submitted yet.
