New Delhi: A total of 116 complaints of alleged human rights violations by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been received since 2017, according to the details provided by the government in Rajya Sabha. There were 108 complaints received against the Army while the number for IAF was eight, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said on Monday.
There was no case of human rights violation reported against the Indian Navy during the period from 2017 to 2022. According to the details, the number of complaints of human rights violations against the Army in 2017 was 29, while it went up to 42 in 2018 and 26 in 2019. The Army faced seven such complaints in 2020 and four in 2021, according to Bhatt.
The Indian Air Force faced one complaint in 2017 and another in 2019. There were three complaints each against the IAF in 2021 and 2022, he said. The minister said allegations of human rights violations against the Indian Army are investigated by local police, special investigation teams, human rights commissions, CBI, and superior formations of the Army units in question.
It said the Integrated headquarters in the ministry of Defence and Command headquarters are empowered to investigate if cases of violations are reported. The cases of human rights violations in the IAF are investigated by the Provost Marshal (Air). "The Army is having a zero tolerance policy on human rights violations. All troops are trained and briefed regularly to ensure operations are conducted as per laid down instructions," Bhatt said.
He said the Army has promulgated "Do's and Don'ts" and the Chief of Army Staff's Commandments which are followed by all ranks. "A human rights cell has been established at Army headquarters reflecting the importance that the Army ascribes to the issue. The Army proactively investigates all allegations, even taking suo moto cognisance of such report in the media," Bhatt said.
The minister further added that actions are taken by the IAF in accordance with the provision of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 as amended from time to time and various guidelines issued in this regard. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat uploaded Monday's questions on its website on Tuesday only.
