Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has quashed and set aside a notice issued by the Goa Human Rights Commission, observing that the Commission had clearly overstepped its jurisdiction by entertaining a complaint that did not involve any human rights violation.
The case arose from a complaint filed by Guronath Naik against Namrata Ulman, Secretary of the Goa Legislative Assembly. The complaint alleged that Ulman’s husband, a retired individual, would visit her office and was seen sleeping on a sofa.
Based on the complaint, the Goa Human Rights Commission issued a notice initiating an inquiry. The action was subsequently challenged before the Bombay High Court as an abuse of law and misuse of power.
During the hearing, the High Court expressed shock at both the nature of the complaint and the Commission’s decision to entertain it. In a key development, the complainant himself chose to withdraw the complaint.
Taking note of the withdrawal and the nature of the allegations, the High Court quashed the notice issued by the Commission, observing that such matters do not fall within the scope of human rights violations.
The court emphasized that statutory bodies like the Human Rights Commission have limited and well-defined jurisdictions and cannot function as overarching authorities to address every grievance, particularly those unrelated to human rights.
The ruling also underscored that legal forums must not be misused and authorities must act strictly within the framework of law.
