New Delhi, Apr 15 (PTI) Taking cognisance of the violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, the NHRC on Tuesday said it will send a team to conduct an on-spot inquiry, given the “seriousness” of the matter.

The National Human Rights Commission said the action comes after submission of a complaint to it.

The inquiry report should be submitted within three weeks, it said.

The complaint pertains to various “social media news articles” highlighting the alleged murder of two named persons — father and son, amid the ongoing protest against the legislation.

The complainant has alleged that “goons” had been on an “attacking spree, targeting men and women of the Hindu community and their properties, and had murdered three people”, including the father-son duo, according to the proceedings of NHRC.

The complainant further alleged that “no proper action had been taken by the police of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, and this led to the mass exodus of Hindu people in the region”, the proceedings said.

Furthermore, shops were “looted and vandalised by the goons, and they were seen shouting and attacking people escaping in their private vehicles”. The complainant alleged that all these incidents occurred in the “presence of the Murshidabad police”, the proceedings further read.

The Commission in its proceedings said the complainant sought its intervention, and underlined that if the “allegations are true, it would be tantamount to a serious violation of the human rights” of the complainant.

“The Bench of the National Human Rights Commission, presided by Priyank Kanoongo, Hon’ble Member, has taken cognisance in terms of Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, in the matter,” it said.

“Given the seriousness of the matter, the Director General (Investigation), NHRC, is directed to assign a team of officers/officials from the Investigation Division of the Commission to conduct an on-spot inquiry at Murshidabad, West Bengal,” according to the proceedings.

The inquiry report should be submitted to the Commission within a period of three weeks, it said.

Three people died and several others were injured in the violence that raged in Suti, Dhulian, Samserganj and Jangipur areas in the district since Friday afternoon.

A total of 221 people have been apprehended so far in connection with the violence in the Muslim-majority district during anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests, a police officer said on Tuesday. PTI KND KVK KVK