Hyderabad, June 13: Indicting Andhra Pradesh police in six cases of human rights violations, including five custodial deaths, the state human rights committee, in its first report today, recommended constitution of a full-fledged human rights commission to inquire into custodial deaths and encounter killings. After going through 383 public petitions and inspecting some jails during the last eight months, the three-member committee, headed by former chief justice of Karnataka High Court Y Bhaskar Rao, found policemen guilty of human rights violations in cases involving custodial deaths.

"By and large, police are following the guidelines stipulated by Supreme Court but there are some violations," Rao told reporters at Raj Bhavan here after submitting the report to the Governor Surjit Singh Barnala.

The report, for the period between September, 2002 and May this year, said out of 20 cases of human rights violations registered during the period, the committee completed inquiries in six cases and passed the orders.

In all the cases, the committee found policemen guilty of violating the Supreme Court guidelines regarding treatment of suspects and prisoners and also ordered payment of compensation to the families of victims.

Out of the 383 cases perused by the committee, 20 pertained to custodial deaths.

The committee was set up by Andhra Pradesh High Court in September last year in accordance with the apex court guidelines.

Bureau Report