GUWAHATI, Aug 23 - Taking up the case of death of two minors by falling into an open pit on the Assam Agriculture University�s College of Veterinary Science (CVSc) campus, Khanapara here, the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has issued show-cause notices to the executive engineer under the Director of Physical Plant (DPP), AAU and government registered contractor Chakradhar Barman as to why they should not be directed to pay compensation up to Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of each of the deceased.
The rights body took suo moto cognizance of the matter on the basis of media reports about the deaths of eight-year-old Jyoti Basfor and six-year-old Radha Basfor in April 2017. It also directed the District Magistrate of Kamrup Metro to conduct an inquiry into the facts and circumstances leading to the tragic deaths.
A full bench of the AHRC comprising Chairperson Justice T Vaiphei and its members NK Bora and DK Saikia, after examining the report of the District Magistrate, came to the conclusion that the death of the two girls was due to their getting drowned in the pit.
�No conclusive evidence could be found as under whose direction and purpose the digging of the pit was carried out. Though the college authorities and the contractor have vehemently denied having any knowledge of the pit, it is a matter of suspicion as to how a well-like pit was constructed inside the campus of the university without any knowledge of the college authorities,� the panel mentioned.
Passing an order in the AHRC Case No. 1978/24/17-18, the rights body has asked both the parties to respond to the show-cause notices on or before September 23, 2019.
The Commission also put on record the comments of the father of Jyoti Basfor and uncle of Radha Basfor who asserted that the pit was dug by Chakradhar Barman, a registered contractor on the instruction and within the knowledge of the authority concerned of the College of Veterinary Science.
�The Commission is of the view that both Chakradhar Barman and the executive engineer, DPP, AAU, Khanapara are prima facie guilty of negligence in not covering the pit which resulted in the tragic death of the two minors,� the AHRC order mentioned.
