THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the Human Rights Commission has no head, complaints of human rights violations received have been reducing in Kerala. The commission has been functioning without a chairman for six months. Only two members are there. With this, sittings in the districts have been reduced to one in a month. Number of complaints has also dropped.

Human Rights Commission used to receive up to 16,000 complaints per year. It has dropped to just 8,137 complaints this year. Current members Baijunath and Beenakumari will complete their terms in February and next December respectively.

More than 70 percent of human rights violation complaints are against the police. Most of the remaining complaints are against revenue officials, including village officers. Complaints against water authority and KSEB officials are also increasing.

There is an investigation wing headed by IG P Prakash to look into the complaints. After an investigation and hearing the arguments of both parties, the commission will issue an order. This is being implemented by the concerned departments.

Cases against children who do not take care of their aged parents after taking possession of the property are increasing. The Commission recently issued three orders to rewrite the Senior Citizens Protection Act to transfer assets back to the parents. This is in the cases registered in Idukki, Ernakulam and Kollam districts.

Justice Manikumar's name may be withdrawn

The Governor is not ready to appoint retired High Court Chief Justice Manikumar, who was recommended by the government, as the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission. The governor was unhappy that the government had started considering Manikumar for the post while he was still the Chief Justice and that the Chief Minister had given him a send-off at a private hotel in Kovalam just before his retirement.

The government may recommend someone else instead of Justice Manikumar. Justice PR Ramachandra Menon, who is a Malayali and the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh, is being considered. With the governor taking a stand that he would not sign the file, the government moved to get Manikumar's written refusal and recommend another person by the committee again.