A week after an explosion inside a tuition centre in south Kashmir’s Pulwama left over two dozen students injured, the state human rights commission on Tuesday sought a report from police in the incident.
At least 26 students studying at Flai Milat Higher Secondary School at Sirnoo Nagbal village of the district were injured when the mysterious blast last week in the institute shocked everyone.
The commission took cognisance of the incident, after rights activist Ahsan Untoo filed a petition before it.
In its order, the commission sought a report from top police officials of Pulwama and Awantipora.
In the petition Untoo stated that students “being the future of the nation” need to be protected against violence.
“… students being the future of the nation needs to be protected against the violence and such kind of incidents should be curbed and it is a prime duty of the respondents to secure and sanitize the area, more particularly the education institutions,” the petitioner said.
He also urged the commission to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the incident through its special investigating team.
Terming the incident as “worst kind of human rights violation”, the petitioner alleged the incident happened due to negligence of authorities.
“…the state cannot escape the liability and securing the subjects and too when the subjects are minors/students…,” reads the petition.
Stating that the incident has terrified the whole student community in Kashmir, the petitioner urged for taking necessary security measures at schools and coaching centers for students.
“…the students of whole valley are so terrified and scared that they hesitate to attend the classroom and coaching centers, as such necessary steps should be taken to provide proper security cover to the institutions. That the commission may recommend an interim relief of Rs 2 lacs to the each victim under 19(3) of the JK state human rights commission act,” the petitioner said.
Untoo said the government cannot escape responsibility by providing a meagre Rs 50000 as compensation to the injured students.