The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has flagged several instances of alleged police inaction, administrative failures and high-handed law enforcement during its two-day camp sitting and open hearing in Gandhinagar on September 2 and 3.
The Commission, headed by Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian along with its members, examined 45 cases involving alleged human-rights violations across Gujarat. The matters covered police conduct, prohibition-law enforcement, food security, POCSO cases, institutional care, workplace safety and implementation of the POSH law in the unorganised sector.
While the Commission found serious shortcomings involving individual police officers and teams, it observed that the cases did not point to systemic failures across the police department.
Among the most significant developments was the recommendation of ₹7.50 lakh compensation to Payal Goti of Amreli, whose arrest and alleged treatment in police custody had become a major controversy in Gujarat.
NHRC Closes 27 Cases, Compensation Crosses ₹3.5 Crore
During the two-day hearing, the NHRC examined complaints and reports submitted by complainants, government officials and NGOs.
The Commission closed 27 cases after examining compliance reports submitted by the authorities. In these matters, compensation payments reported by the authorities exceeded ₹3.5 crore.
Several other cases, however, remain open and the Commission has sought further reports from the concerned authorities.
One such matter relates to the Bhavnagar spurious liquor tragedy, in which more than 13 people were reported to have died. The NHRC has sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the incident.
Payal Goti Case: ₹7.5 Lakh Compensation Recommended
One of the cases that drew particular attention during the hearing was the alleged unlawful arrest and public handling of Payal Goti in Amreli.
The NHRC has recommended that the state government pay ₹7.50 lakh in compensation to Goti.
The decision comes after a long-running controversy surrounding her arrest in the Amreli letter scandal and allegations regarding her treatment while in police custody.
Goti had alleged that she was subjected to physical and mental torture during custody. Questions were also raised over the manner in which she was allegedly taken into public view, leading to claims of mental and social harassment.
What Was the Amreli Letter Controversy?
The case began after a letter allegedly written on a fake letterhead went viral on social media.
The letter contained serious allegations, including claims of police bribery, against Kaushik Vekariya, Deputy Chief Whip of the Legislative Assembly and an MLA.
Police subsequently arrested four people in connection with the controversy, including Payal Goti and a BJP leader.
Goti, who worked as a typist, was made an accused in the case. According to the allegations raised during the controversy, she should have been treated as a witness rather than an accused.
The police action, particularly the manner in which she was allegedly taken through public places, became a major point of criticism.
There were also allegations that Goti was beaten during custody at the alleged behest of the BJP leader. The Congress repeatedly raised questions over the incident.
Allegations of Illegal Arrest and Custodial Torture
Goti alleged that her arrest was illegal and that she faced both physical and mental torture while in police custody.
The allegations also included claims that she was publicly paraded, causing further humiliation and social and mental distress.
The matter eventually reached the National Human Rights Commission, which examined the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the police action.
The NHRC’s decision to recommend ₹7.50 lakh compensation to Goti has now emerged as a significant development in the case.
Goti was granted bail in January 2025, following a prolonged legal battle.
The compensation recommendation has given a new turn to her fight for justice and has put the conduct of the police in the case under renewed scrutiny.
Other Serious Police-Human Rights Cases Examined
The Payal Goti case was only one among several matters considered by the NHRC in Gandhinagar.
The Commission examined allegations involving custodial deaths, police atrocities, civic negligence, child-related tragedies and failures by authorities.
Representations submitted by human-rights activist Kantilal Parmar included the alleged death of Haniben Hareshbhai at Amreli Civil Hospital, the alleged public stripping and assault of a woman in Dahod, the Rajkot custodial death case and demands for cremation land for Scheduled Caste communities.
These cases formed part of the wider examination of alleged human-rights violations across Gujarat.
SC Community Had to Travel 12 Km for Cremation
The Commission also intervened in a long-standing issue involving cremation facilities for Scheduled Caste communities.
In Sathal village of Dholka, members of the community had reportedly been forced to travel around 12 km to perform cremation rites for decades.
Following the NHRC’s intervention, a grazing ground was resolved to be converted into a crematorium.
This means that residents of the village could finally perform last rites within the village after nearly 80 years.
Some Ahmedabad Cases Remain Outside the NHRC Review
While the Commission examined several serious cases, some incidents mentioned in the broader set of complaints did not come under its scrutiny during the hearing.
These included the case of Ahmedabad’s Chirag Vala, whose body was allegedly cremated as “unclaimed” even though his family had reported him missing.
The custodial death of 64-year-old Zahiruddin Shaikh at Vejalpur Police Station was another case that was not examined during the Commission’s proceedings.
Two major fire incidents were also outside the Commission’s overview.
One was the illegal firecracker factory blast in Ramol, Ahmedabad, reported this year and said to have claimed 10 lives. The other was an explosion in Deesa, Banaskantha, last year, in which 21 people were reported killed.
Worker Deaths and Civic Negligence Also Examined
The NHRC hearing was not limited to police cases.
The Commission considered complaints involving worker deaths, school infrastructure, food poisoning, water contamination and civic negligence.
In Bharuch, families of five workers who died in a chemical factory fire and explosion received compensation.
In another Bharuch case, families of four workers who died after inhaling toxic gas at a Dahej plant were awarded more than ₹2 crore.
In Ahmedabad, three workers died after an advertising hoarding collapsed. Criminal proceedings were initiated in that case.
These matters highlighted the broader human-rights concerns surrounding workplace safety and civic responsibility.
27 Bonded Labour Cases Heard
The Commission also examined 27 alleged bonded-labour cases.
Justice V Ramasubramanian pointed out that seasonal and migrant workers often leave their places of work before authorities are able to intervene. This can make it difficult for legal procedures to be completed.
He also highlighted the practice of advances being paid to middlemen to arrange workers for brick kilns.
According to his observation, such advances can result in workers being required to provide compulsory labour for a fixed period. He described this as a serious form of bonded labour that may often remain unrecognised.
Focus on Prohibition, POCSO and Workplace Rights
Across the two-day sitting, the NHRC also discussed issues connected with Gujarat’s prohibition law, food security, POCSO justice, institutional care and implementation of POSH provisions in the unorganised sector.
The range of cases showed that the Commission’s review extended beyond individual police complaints to questions involving vulnerable communities, children, workers, women and people affected by administrative failures.
NHRC Seeks Accountability, But Finds No Systemic Police Failure
The Commission’s overall observation was significant: while it found discrepancies and lapses involving individual police officers or particular teams, it did not find evidence pointing to systemic lapses within the Gujarat police department.
At the same time, the cases heard in Gandhinagar highlighted multiple instances where alleged police inaction, excessive use of authority and administrative failures had serious consequences for individuals and families.
The ₹7.50 lakh compensation recommended for Payal Goti, along with the Commission’s intervention in the Sathal cremation-ground matter and compensation awarded in worker-death cases, represents some of the key outcomes of the two-day hearing.
With several matters still open and further reports sought from authorities, the NHRC’s Gandhinagar proceedings have kept the focus on accountability in cases where citizens allege that their basic rights were not protected.
Also Read: Silent Reading, Loud Clash: How Ahmedabad’s Malala Row Turned Violent
