NHRC seeks report from Gujarat govt, cops on 2 hoarding-collapse deaths

New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS The NHRC has sought a report within two weeks from the Gujarat government and Ahmedabad Police Chief over the death of two workers under a rooftop advertising hoarding that collapsed last month, an official said on Monday.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that two workers died and one was critically injured due to the collapse of an advertising hoarding from the roof of a seven-storey building in the Bopal area of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on September 27, the official said in a statement.

The Commission observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violations.

“Therefore, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat and the Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks,” said the statement.

According to the media report, carried on September 29, about 15 labourers were installing a hoarding nearly 80 feet above the ground on a residential building when it collapsed.

Of the ten workers who fell, two died while one was grievously injured, and seven others sustained minor injuries. The injured were admitted to a hospital for treatment, said the report.

In a separate case, the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of two separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh that involved child branding and electrocution deaths.

The Commission had issued notices to senior district officials on October 7, demanding detailed reports within two weeks.

The first incident, reported from Jhabua district, involved three children suffering from pneumonia who were allegedly branded with a hot iron rod by a local faith healer. Shockingly, the parents themselves had taken the children to the healer, believing in traditional practices over medical treatment.

In a separate tragedy, two children aged 8 and 10 lost their lives due to electrocution while playing inside a Durga Puja pandal in Jabalpur district. The incident occurred on September 24 when the children came in contact with an iron pipe that had been negligently wired with electricity by the pandal organisers.

--IANS

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