Goa rights commission to hear plea on 'inhuman treatment' of cops during BRICS

Social activist Aires Rodrigues claimed the police personnel deployed at the event were "being made to work long hours in appalling conditions".

Panaji: The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) will on Tuesday hear a complaint on alleged inhuman treatment meted out to the policemen on duty during the just-concluded BRICS Summit in Goa.

Social activist Aires Rodrigues had filed the complaint with GHRC on the first day of the BRICS Summit, claiming the police personnel deployed at the event were "being made to work very long hours in pathetic and appalling working conditions".

The commission, comprising retired District Judge A D Salkar and J A Keny, will take up the case for hear the complaint tomorrow.

Based on the complaint, GHRC has already issued notices to the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police and sought an urgent detailed report from them on the issue.

The GHRC also directed the Commission's Secretary Siddhivinayak Naik and Deputy Superintendent of Police Kiran Poduval, attached to the panel, to visit the sites and submit a detailed report about the working conditions of the police personnel posted on the BRICS Summit duty.

In his complaint, Rodrigues claimed the police staff was "made to work for very long hours, which has taken a toll on their personal?lives, with even a 25-year-old constable, Jeevan Gaonkar, suffering a heart attack."

"Despite the GHRC having more than once reminded the government that police personnel are human beings and should be treated so, the authorities have failed to make all proper arrangements, including food, water and toilet facilities for the police personnel," he alleged.

The complainant alleged that the government had "conveniently neglected" to cater to the basic fundamental and human rights of its own police personnel.