New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a dead body was nibbled by rats in the mortuary of Narwana Civil Hospital in Jind and sought a report from the Haryana government within two weeks, an official said on Monday.

While seeking a response, the NHRC indicated that, reportedly, this is not the first incident reported from the same hospital.

The Commission observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights, said an official statement.

Therefore, the NHRC issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks, said a statement.

According to a media report from November 12, 2025, the hospital authorities have claimed that they have complained to the company for repairing the freezer of the mortuary, but it has not taken any action.

However, a mesh has been installed in the freezer of the mortuary as a temporary measure to check the entry of rats.

In a separate case, the NHRC last week wrote to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories over a complaint highlighting potentially deadly design flaws in public transport buses, raising alarm over passenger safety and systemic negligence in vehicle approval.

The Commission’s letter responds to a complaint linked to the fatal sleeper bus fire of October 14, 2025, on the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur highway in Rajasthan.

A subsequent inspection by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) found violations of mandatory AIS-052 and AIS-119 safety standards, including the absence of fire suppression systems and improperly designed internal partitions.

According to the NHRC, “The complainant alleged that a recurring and fatal flaw in the design of public transport buses is endangering the lives of passengers. Specifically, the drivers’ cabin in certain buses is completely separated from the passenger compartment, which prevents timely detection of fires and communication during emergencies. The complaint refers to recent incidents where passenger buses caught fire mid-journey, leading to preventable deaths.”

AIS-052 and AIS-119, developed by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, are mandatory standards that define structural and fire safety requirements for buses operating in India.

–IANS

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