SC Declines Plea On SHRC Vacancies
After the court indicated its disinclination to hear the matter, the petitioner’s counsel sought permission to withdraw the plea, which was granted: Reports
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions for expeditious filling of vacancies in State Human Rights Commissions, and allowed the petitioner to withdraw the petition with liberty to pursue remedies available under law.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and V. Mohan questioned why the petitioner had not approached the jurisdictional High Courts, noting that such matters were being monitored there.
After the court indicated its disinclination to hear the matter, the petitioner’s counsel sought permission to withdraw the plea, which was granted.
During the hearing, the counsel pointed to vacancies in several State human rights commissions and submitted that the Uttar Pradesh Human Rights Commission had been without a chairperson for the past two years.
When informed that the court had earlier issued notice in a similar matter, the Bench asked why a separate petition had been filed. The counsel clarified that the earlier case pertained to vacancies in the National Human Rights Commission, whereas the present plea related to state commissions.
"Why have you not gone to the high court? The High Courts have been monitoring all this," the Bench said.
The counsel argued that the issue involved multiple States and warned that the Uttar Pradesh Human Rights Commission could become defunct.
The plea sought directions to authorities to fill vacant posts of chairperson and members in State human rights commissions to ensure effective enforcement under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, and to place on record the current vacancy position and status of the selection process.