AHRC directs showcause to varsity and contractor in connection

The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has directed its registry to issue a show cause notice to the executive engineer of Assam Agriculture University and a government registered contractor for payment of compensation the next of kin of two children who fell into an open pit and died, a release by AHRC said Thursday. The AHRC took suo motu congnisance of the death of the two girls, aged eight and six years, after they fell into a pit in Assam Agriculture University at Khanapara in early 2018.

The show cause notice sought to know why the executive engineer and the registered contractor should not be directed to pay compensation not exceeding Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of each of the deceased, AHRC said on Thursday. AHRC full bench comprising its chairperson Justice T Vaiphei and members N K Bora and D K Saikia examined the report of the district magistrate of Kamrup Metro which had concluded that the reason for the death of the two girls was due to their drowning in the pit, the release said.

The report had also said that no conclusive evidence could be found as to under whose direction and purpose the digging of the pit by the third party was carried out. The college authorities and the contractor have vehemently denied having any knowledge of the pit and it is a matter of suspicion as to how a pit was dug inside the university campus without the knowledge of the college authorities though it cannot be conclusively adduced that they are responsible for digging of the pit, it said.

The Commission also mentioned the comments of the families of the two girls who said that the pit was excavated by a registered contractor on the instruction and within the knowledge of the concerned authority. The release said the Commission is of the view that both the contractor and the executive engineer are prima facie guilty of negligence for not covering the pit which led to the death of the two girls..