New Delhi, February 19: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a warning on Thursday regarding fraudulent individuals and NGOs that have registered under names resembling its own. An official stated that all states have been directed to take action against these entities.
The NHRC has requested action reports from all states within two weeks. Recently, the commission discovered an NGO registered as the ‘National Human Rights Council (NHRC)’, which reportedly registered with the Delhi NCT government in 2022, following complaints from the public.
According to the rights panel’s statement, the NGO’s promotional materials claimed it was registered with the NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and was affiliated with the Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Council Association.
The NHRC’s statement noted that a visiting card associated with this organization bore the name ‘Venkatesh, State Chairman, Karnataka’.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the NHRC has taken cognizance of the matter. It stated that the adopted name and designation ‘Chairman’ are misleading and create confusion. The commission emphasized that such fraudulent names can lead people to mistakenly believe these organizations are part of the NHRC or are authorized to handle human rights issues.
The NHRC believes that these misleading names could erode public trust, lead to misuse of funds, and create confusion among government officials regarding the distinction between legal bodies like the NHRC and NGOs, the statement added.
The NHRC has previously expressed concerns about the misuse of its name and logo across various platforms and has urged relevant authorities to take action against those behind such dubious organizations.
Despite ongoing violations coming to light, the commission has issued notices to Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police in all states and Union Territories to identify NGOs or individuals misusing the NHRC name or using deceptive similar names. They are instructed to take immediate legal action within two weeks, including the cancellation of registrations obtained through rule violations.
Additionally, they have been advised to alert registering authorities to remain vigilant and take necessary action against defaulters.
Furthermore, the NHRC has directed the Chief Secretaries and Police Commissioners of Karnataka and Delhi to submit reports within two weeks regarding actions taken against the NGO based in Karnataka and registered in Delhi.
Leave a Comment