The National Human Rights Commission on Friday issued a notice to the Rajasthan government over alleged police brutality against Dalits during protests held against a Supreme Court order that diluted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Multiple Dalit organisations had called for nationwide shutdown on April 2.

The commission took cognisance of a media report, which alleged that several Dalits were falsely implicated in criminal cases during the bandh and jailed, with no provision for bail even after six weeks. The commission issued a notice to the Rajasthan chief secretary asking for a report in six weeks. It also directed the state’s director general of police to submit a report on the actions taken against the alleged police brutality.

The commission said that allegations of illegal arrest, physical torture and implication of people in false criminal cases were a serious violation of human rights.