Justice Jain for stringent laws to protect foetus

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 26

Haryana Human Rights Commission chairman Mr. Justice Vijender Jain today stressed the need for more stringent laws   to  protect  the foetus adding that in European countries the foetus is property of the mother upto three months and thereafter  it belongs to the society.

           He was addressing a press conference on the occasion of inauguration of the office building of Haryana Human Rights Commission here today.

           Mr. Justice Vijender Jain said that though our country has Pre-Natal Diagnostics Technique Act as per which determining sex of foetus is a punishable offence yet stringent laws are needed for its protection.  He said that people should be made aware that foetus is a property to society and no one could destroy it. He said that the Commission would definitely suggest such measures to the State government.

            In reply to a question, Mr. Jain made it clear that furnishing of affidavit is not mandatory with every complaint to be submitted to the Commission. He said that it was found that in some cases baseless allegations were leveled by people, therefore, the affidavit needs to be submitted only if Commission asks the complainant for the same.

            He said that complaints pertaining to departments like police, revenue and  mining  and of those departments that are not releasing pensions, social welfare, education, health, domestic violence and matrimonial discords were being received at the office of the Commission. On being asked about the time limit of disposal of complaints, he said that it entirely depends upon nature of complaints.

            In reply to another question, he said that if we receive complaints related to child labour, the Commission has power to take suo-motto action against the defaulter. The Commission would also take action if any such issue is brought to its notice, he added.

On being asked about the status of pending complaints, Mr. Justice Jain said that earlier complaints used to be filed in National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) where about 6000 complaints are still pending. He said that he  had a discussion with Chairman, NHRC and they are transferring cases on monthly basis.

            He said that protection of Human Rights Act was enacted by Parliament in the year 1993 under which NHRC was established. The Act also provided that states would have their own independent State Human Rights Commission. Now Haryana has its own Human Rights Commission which was formed in September 2012. He said that the Commission would fulfill the aspirations of the people by providing justice to them.

            Those present on this occasion included Members, Haryana Human Rights Commission Mr. Justice H.S. Bhalla and Mr. J.S. Ahalawat and Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. K.K. Khandelwal.