India extrajudicial killings alarm UN rights experts and Supreme Court News
© WikiMedia (Pinakpani)
India extrajudicial killings alarm UN rights experts and Supreme Court

Four UN special rapporteurs and experts on human rights said on Friday that they are “extremely concerned” by extrajudicial police killings in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state.

The experts have sent a letter containing information to the Indian Government on 15 cases, most of which concern individuals from poor Muslim families. The UN officials say that they are yet to receive a response to their letter.

“We are extremely concerned about the pattern of events: individuals allegedly being abducted or arrested before their killing, and their bodies bearing injuries indicative of torture,” the UN experts said. “We have also received allegations of corruption including the police demanding money to release the victim prior to the killing,” they added.

India’s Supreme Court was apprised of the issue on Monday after an NGO filed a petition seeking an independent investigation into the so-called “encounter” killings in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the matter requires “serious consideration” and agreed to examine the details.

In a 2014 decision, the Supreme Court had formulated guidelines on investigations into police killings. The UN experts concluded in their letter to the government that the Supreme Court’s guidelines were not being followed. The violations identified include instances of the police failing to inform family members of the killings, failure to conduct examinations of the crime scene, and failing to provide copies of post-mortem reports to families of the victims.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.