The NHRC has sent a notice to the West Bengal government and the state's police chief over reports that the body of a girl, a victim of sexual assault and murder, was allegedly dragged away by police amid protests in North Dinajpur, officials said on Tuesday.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report in six weeks.

The rights panel, in a statement, said it has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports with photographs indicating that the body of the girl was dragged away by police in public view.

A video of the incident has also gone viral on social media. The girl belonged to the Scheduled Tribes, it said.

Expressing shock over the reported incident, the Commission has observed that, if true, it raises a serious issue of violation of the right to dignity of the deceased victim girl, which is a matter of concern.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of West Bengal, the statement said.

The report should include action taken against the responsible police personnel, details and status of the investigation of the criminal case, and compensation paid, if any, to the next of kin of the deceased by the state government or the State Legal Services Authority, it said.

The state government is also expected to mention in the report the action taken on the advisory of the Commission, dated May 14, 2021, regarding upholding the dignity and protecting the rights of the dead, the rights panel said.

Issuing the notices, the Commission has also observed that the body of a deceased human being deserves to be treated in a dignified manner as human rights do not cease to be honoured with the death of a person.

The Commission has held that it is a well-accepted legal position that the right to life, fair treatment, and dignity, derived from the Article 21 of the Constitution, extends not only to living persons but also to their dead bodies. It had issued an advisory in this regard for compliance by all the states and Union territories.

According to the media reports, carried on April 23, the girl, a resident of Sahebghata area of North Dinajpur had reportedly left her residence and went missing on April 20.

The next day her dead body was found floating in a pond near her house. Reportedly, police have claimed that she committed suicide while her family members alleged that it is a case of sexual assault and murder, it said.

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