New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the brutal manhandling of two journalists by the Madhya Pradesh police over their reporting on “illegal sand mining” in the Chambal river.

The apex human rights body issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), and called for a detailed report in the matter within two weeks.

Taking note of a press release issued by the Press Club of India, the NHRC said that the contents of the press release, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victim journalists.

The Supreme Court is already seized of the petition filed by journalists Shashikant Jatav and Amarkant Singh Chouhan, allegedly facing grave threats to their lives and liberty from the Bhind police.

On Wednesday, a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice on their plea but declined to pass any interim order protecting them from any coercive action.

The Justice Karol-led Bench remarked that before passing any interim order, the facts should be brought by the Madhya Pradesh government as well.

“Suppose you commit a crime like murder, can we grant you no coercive action order? We don’t know what crime has been registered against you,” remarked the apex court, asking the petitioners’ counsel to add Bhind’s Superintendent of Police as a party to the petition.

Their plea would be heard next on Monday (June 9).

The duo claimed that they were forced to flee their hometown due to the intensity of these threats after they exposed “illegal” sand mining in the Chambal river, allegedly carried out with the support of local police.

In their writ petition filed before the top court, the petitioners named IPS officer Asit Yadav and his subordinates as key perpetrators of the abuse, claiming that the targeting is retaliatory, stemming from their investigative work.

They alleged custodial assault, caste-based abuse, kidnapping, and continued harassment by the Bhind police.

–IANS

pds/pgh