New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged public humiliation of a woman in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district, where she was paraded by villagers with her husband on her shoulders over allegations of elopement.

Observing that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of human rights violations, the NHRC has issued notices to the Jhabua District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The NHRC said the report is expected to include the status of the investigation as well as details of compensation, if any, provided to the victim.

According to the media report, the incident occurred on April 13 and also involved the woman’s head being allegedly shaved by the villagers. The matter came to light after a video of the incident surfaced on social media.

Reports indicate that after the video went viral, the police traced the woman, provided her protection, and registered an FIR in the case. Some arrests have also been made in connection with the incident.

In a separate case, the NHRC has also taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the death of two girl students in Odisha’s Gajapati district after an iron gate of a government primary school collapsed on them. The apex human rights body has issued notices to the Chief Secretary of Odisha and the Superintendent of Police, Gajapati, calling for a detailed report within two weeks.

According to the media report, the incident occurred on April 15 when the girls were playing near the school entrance and were trapped under the debris after the gate collapsed.

Locals rushed them to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

The NHRC has observed that the contents of the report, if true, indicate serious lapses leading to the violation of the victims’ human rights and has sought a comprehensive report from the authorities for further examination of the matter.

–IANS

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