NHRC takes suo motu cognisance of building collapse in Maharashtra’s Palghar

New Delhi, Sep 3 The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that 17 people died and eight others were injured when a portion of a four-storey apartment collapsed in the Virar East area of Maharashtra’s Palghar.

According to the press report, the building was unauthorised and constructed over a decade ago. However, residents were reportedly paying taxes to the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), believing the building to be authorised as per notarised documents.

The report further stated that the collapsed structure housed around 50 flats and half a dozen shops. The rear portion of the building, comprising about 12 flats, reportedly collapsed.

A senior VVCMC officer indicated that the collapse may have been caused by the use of inferior-quality construction material. Residents had been sent three notices to vacate the premises, but all the warnings were ignored.

Taking note of the report, the apex human rights body observed that the contents, if true, raise serious concerns of human rights violations. The NHRC has issued notices to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP), seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

Established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC, an autonomous statutory body, is an embodiment of India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights. Its primary role is to protect and promote human rights, defined as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in international covenants and enforceable by courts in India.

The apex human rights body has the power to take suo motu (on its own motion) action based on media reports, public knowledge or other sources, without receiving a formal complaint of human rights violations.

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