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Police firing in India: Human life remains as cheap as a bullet

13 January 2012

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Asian Centre for Human Rights
- [ACHR has Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC]
- C 3/441 C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
- Tel/Fax: +9111 45501889 25620583
- Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@achrweb.org

Embargoed for: 13 January 2012

Dear Sir/Madam,

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has the pleasure to share its latest
ACHR Weekly Review titled “Police firing in India: Human life remains as
cheap as a bullet†. It is available at:
- http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2012/236-12.html

This has been published in The Financial World (India), a daily owned by
the Tehelka Group, and is available at:

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main51.asp?filename=Ws110112Human.asp

The killing of Altaf Ahmad Sood, a class 12th student, on 2 January 2012
at the NHPC premises in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir in firing
by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel is just one of
the many examples that expose the illegal orders of CISF Directorate on
the use of firearms to protect the installations. On 30th September 2011,
the CISF Directorate issued directions to the CISF to take all measures to
protect the installations without waiting for the local police or the
magistrate in clear violations of the Criminal Procedure Code and the
United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law
Enforcement Officials.

The use of rubber bullets is an exception while the use of live bullets is
the norm in India. The state governments usually order inquiries to
placate the situation once protesters are killed. However, the use of
force is often justified on the ground of mob violence. Since it is almost
impossible to prove the misuse of firearms in case of violent protest, the
inquiries often end up in exonerating the police personnel even if they
simply aim to kill. If India is committed to ensure the right to life of
its citizens, it must make it mandatory to use plastic-coated bullets to
control protests. After the Himachal Pradesh High Court disapproved the
use of live bullets to tackle monkey menace last year, the state started
using rubber bullets. There is no reason why the guarantee to ensure the
right to life of monkeys cannot be extended to humans!

We thought you would find this of interest.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely

Suhas Chakma

Director, Asian Centre for Human Rights