US Human Rights Report Slams India on Encounter Killings

The US State Department for Human Rights in its report for 2015 has slammed India for its record on encounter killing and has observed that judicial corruption is widespread in the country.

The report also mentioned the Malegaon case the allegation is that the National Investigation Agency was "going soft" on Hindutva elements over the Malegaon blasts case.

The report said there were 555 “encounter killings,” by security forces and police between 2008 and 2013. The list includes: Uttar Pradesh (138), Jharkhand (50), Manipur (41), Assam (33), Chhattisgarh (29), Odisha (27), Jammu and Kashmir (26), Tamil Nadu (23), and Madhya Pradesh (20). It also mentions the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case.

Here are some other observations on India in the US report:

Prisons

# Prisons were often severely overcrowded, and food, medical care, sanitation, and environmental conditions often were inadequate. Potable water was only occasionally available. Prisons and detention centers remained underfunded, understaffed, and lacking sufficient infrastructure. Prisoners were physically mistreated.

# Persons awaiting trial accounted for more than two-thirds of the prison population.

Children Recruited by Maoists

#Expresses concern on the recruitment of children by Maoist armed groups. children as young as 12 were members of Maoist youth groups.

#Maoists reportedly held children against their will and threatened severe reprisals, including the killing of family members, if the children attempted to escape. Maoist armed groups used children as human shields in confrontations with security forces.

Defamation Cases

#critical of loose use of libel/defamation cases in the state of Tamil Nadu

# Report says that since Jayalalithaa came to power (in 2011) 110 cases of defamation were filed against various persons, including cases against media persons for speculating about the health of the CM.

# Critical of government move of curbing internet freedom, Cites government decision to ban mobile internet services during violent quota protests organised by the Patels.

# Criticises government central monitoring system (CMS) programme which allows governmental agencies to monitor electronic communications in real time without informing the subject or a judge.