Mumbai: With the state all set to celebrate ‘International Human Rights Day’ on Tuesday, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has successfully resolved as many as 536 suo motu cases since December 2021.
In addition to these, the commission has also cleared several complaint cases, ranging from awarding compensation in custodial death cases, directing the police to register FIRs, to addressing societal rights violations, such as residents being forced to endure polluted air due to the dumping of debris in their vicinity, all of the issues been regularly reported by FPJ.
The MSHRC has also been instrumental in addressing notices to Shatabdi Hospital, where a dead body was left unattended in a panchnama room and defaced by rodents. Notices were also issued in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case, which killed 17 people and injured more than 80.
The commission also resolved a case involving around 5,000 mentally ill and homeless individuals who were roaming the streets of Mumbai. A Navi Mumbai-based NGO, SEAL, took responsibility for their care.
Further, acting on the commission’s orders, government bodies such as MHADA have undertaken the construction of 28 new shelter homes for homeless individuals in the state.
Records available with the MSHRC indicate that since December 2021, the commission has resolved 536 suo motu cases, many of which were disposed of after brief hearings.
Statistics from the MSHRC office reveal an upward trend in case registrations and resolutions. Annual registrations increased from 83 cases in 2019 to 208 cases in 2023, with 126 cases already registered in 2024 as of October 21. Records show that the commission earlier received as many as 20 to 25 complaints daily.
Meanwhile, human rights advocates are urging the commission to also address broader human rights violations occurring across the country.
“No doubt, cases of human rights violations are being successfully addressed by the commission. However, the main issue arises when voices are raised against the authorities. When someone tries to speak out against the state’s wrongdoers, their voices are silenced by the powerful, suppressing the fight for justice,” says advocate Nihal Singh Rathod, a human rights activist.
Advocate Anand Grover, a human rights defender, adds, “There are many other major issues for which people need to approach the MSHRC. We are all one and should not be divided on any grounds by the state.”
