Latest news with #Kanoongo
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
NHRC issues notice to West Bengal DGP to ensure Sharmistha Panoli's safety
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Director general of police of West Bengal to ensure the safety of Sharmistha Panoli, a social media influencer and law student arrested over her alleged communal remarks linked to Operation Sindoor, said Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the human rights body. The action was taken in view of the multiple 'rape and death threats' against Panoli, Kanoongo told ANI. He also said that the human rights body received a complaint from the Legal Rights Observator alleging that proper legal procedures were not followed during Panoli's arrest. Panoli was arrested from Haryana's Gurugram by the West Bengal Police on Friday, May 30, over her contentious post. She has been sent to judicial custody till June 13. "We received a complaint from an organisation called Legal Rights Observatory regarding a law student, who was arrested by West Bengal Police from Haryana in the middle of the night over an allegedly objectionable social media post. The complaint alleges that proper legal procedures were not followed during her arrest and transit. It also states that the girl has received threats from radical Islamists, including rape and death threats," Kanoongo told ANI. He also said that the NHRC has reached out to the Haryana government as well to determine whether all legal procedures were followed properly or not during Panoli's arrest before deciding the next course of action. 'We have issued a notice to the Chief Secretary and DGP of West Bengal, directing them to ensure her safety, especially as she is now in judicial custody. Additionally, we have sought clarification from the Haryana government on whether all legal protocols were followed. Based on the responses, we will decide the next course of action,' he said. A police complaint has been filed against a 30-year-old Kolkata resident, whose May 14 complaint led to the arrest of a 22-year-old law student for a social media post from Gurugram, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
Hans India
14-05-2025
- Hans India
MP: Hindu girl students sexually exploited, says NHRC
Bhopal: Member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Priyank Kanoongo said on Wednesday that Hindu girls were being deliberately targeted and sexually exploited in Bhopal. Kanoongo's comments came against the backdrop of a high-profile racket of an alleged nexus of love jihad in Bhopal that was busted a few weeks ago, wherein nearly half a dozen girls students of a private engineering college complained that they were sexually exploited by a group of the Muslim community. He informed that upon receiving information, a team of NHRC arrived in Bhopal to investigate the matter, adding that the NHRC team would carry out an investigation for two days in Bhopal. He said that half a dozen victims have complained, but the number of victims is expected to increase. 'NHRC would request the victims and their parents to come forward to lodge complaints, while their identity would not be revealed. We had received the complaint, and a preliminary investigation revealed that Hindu girl students were being targeted and were being sexually abused. The accused persons not only sexually exploited them but also videographed, served intoxication and forced them to convert their religion,' Kanoongo told IANS. Kanoongo further stated that there are several aspects on which an investigation need to be done, adding that the NHRC team would make the entire thing very clear in the next two days. Meanwhile, he also questioned on Bhopal Police, saying what surprising that the local area police station was located hardly 500 meters away from the college, but the police did not take any action. "Crime was operating in the city, but the Bhopal Police was sitting quietly. I also have doubts that some evidences were destroyed by the police during their investigation. We will investigate it thoroughly and come out with a concrete report in the next two days," he added. Notably, after the shocking incident came into the fore a few weeks ago, the Madhya Pradesh government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of senior police officials to investigate the matter. So far, five accused have been arrested for allegedly raping girl students by hiding their identities and blackmailing them by making videos. The main accused in the case, Farhan Ali, was arrested on May 3 in Bhopal.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NHRC writes to Odisha DGP and Chief Secretary in matter related to KIIT Nepalese student suicide case
The National Human Rights Commission has written a letter to Odisha's Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) over the issue of a Nepalese student who was found dead at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar. Earlier, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said that the organisation has taken cognisance of the death of a Nepalese student at KIIT. 'We will take further action after the report comes, if needed, our team will go there,' said Mr. Kanoongo. Speaking about the previous incident where another girl student was found dead on the KIIT campus, Mr. Kanoongo said the university administration tried to suppress the issue. 'During our investigation, it came out that the student was sexually assaulted, pornographic content was filmed, and then she was blackmailed. When the girl complained to the college administration, instead of informing the police, the university administration tried to have a compromise and suppress the issue. Prima facie, the university administration was the culprit, so we asked the UGC to take strict action, as the environment was not conducive there,' he said. In response to the tragedy, the University Grant Commission (UGC) has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Nageshwar Rao, to look into the recent alleged suicide deaths at committee will examine the circumstances surrounding these incidents, ensure compliance with student welfare and safety regulations, and suggest measures to prevent such incidents. The committee also includes Shashikala Wanjari, Vice-Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), and HCS Rathore, Former Vice Chancellor of Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, as a member and Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of UGC as the coordination officer, according to a statement from UGC on Friday. Earlier in February, Prakriti Lamsal also died by suicide at the same university.
India Gazette
03-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
NHRC writes to Odisha DGP and Chief Secretary in matter related to KIIT Nepalese student suicide case
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 3 (ANI): The National Human Rights Commission has written a letter to Odisha's Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) over the issue of Nepalese student who was found dead at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar. Earlier, National Human Rights Commission member Priyank Kanoongo said that the organisation has taken cognisance of the death of a Nepalese student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar. 'In yesterday's (May 1) incident, we have taken cognisance, issued a notice, and sought a report from the DGP and the chief secretary, which is to be submitted within 7 days. We will take further action after the report comes... If needed, our team will go there,' Kanoongo told ANI. Speaking on the previous incident where another girl student was found dead on the KIIT campus, Kanoongo said the university administration tried to suppress the issue. 'On March 27, we submitted a report - when we had this information of a Nepali girl committing suicide, our team went there and in the investigation, it came out that that student was sexually assaulted, pornographic content was filmed, and then she was blackmailed. When the girl complained to the college administration, instead of informing the police, the university administration tried to have a compromise and suppress the issue. Prima facie, the university administration was the culprit, so we asked the UGC to take strict action, as the environment was not conducive there,' he said. In response to the tragedy, the University Grant Commission (UGC) has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Nageshwar Rao, to look into the recent alleged suicide deaths at KIIT. The committee will examine the circumstances surrounding these incidents, ensure compliance with student welfare and safety regulations, and suggest measures to prevent such incidents. The committee also includes Shashikala Wanjari, Vice-Chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), and HCS Rathore, Former Vice Chancellor of Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, as a member and Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of UGC as the coordination officer, according to a statement from UGC on Friday. Earlier in February, Prakriti Lamsal also died by suicide at the same university. (ANI)
