HYDERABAD: Raising the alarm over the non-recovery of the remaining hostages from the clutches of kutcha dacoits in Kashmore-Kandhot district, the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has written a letter to Sindh Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar and provincial home department for urgent intervention to ensure their recovery and maintenance of the law and order.

The SHRC also conveyed the report of its fact-finding mission sent to the district led by its member Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani to observe a protest organised by the Hindu community and civil society, and assess the human rights violations there.

According to a SHRC press release emailed to Dawn on Wednesday, upon assessment, the SHRC found growing mistrust of public in local police with respect to transparency of their operations against the outlaws, under-reported cases, discrepancies in the number of abductees and the overall police cooperation.

The commission in its correspondence has drawn attention of the authorities towards the issue of under-reported abductions and the reports of delay in handing over of one abductee, Sagar Kumar, who was recovered by police, as conveyed to the community and family.

The SHRC urged the authorities to take an immediate and comprehensive action to investigate kidnappings, facilitate their safe return and address systemic hurdles hindering reporting and resolution of cases.

According to Assardas Hemnani, the mission met the protesters who were staging a sit-in at Dera Mor in Kashmore city for the recovery of Hindu hostages and others. He said that during their stay in the district, Mukhi Jagdesh was recovered and the commission had talked to him as well. He said that at that time, 16 hostages were in the captivity of dacoits.

Most of the complaints by the community pertained to non-registration of FIRs regarding kidnappings, he said.

About Sagar Kumar, one of the Hindu hostages, for whom the protest was being held, the SHRC member said police had conveyed to the protesters that he had been recovered and would be handed over the family, but it was not confirmed if he reached home.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2023