Kolkata, Aug 26 (IANS): Leading rights body, the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) on Saturday filed a complaint at the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) against Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari for his comments demanding encounter of the rapists.

“On August 24, while speaking to mediapersons the Leader of the Opposition strongly advocated for the encounter of the rapists. He also said that the people committing crimes like rape does not have to right to survive and hence should be killed. This means that he advocated for the killing of any accused without going through the trial process. So we have filed a complaint against him at the state human rights commission today,” APDR general secretary Ranjit Sur said.

In its complaint to the WBHRC, the rights body said that such public vouching in favour of “encounter without trial, is not only detrimental for the undertrial prisoners but the entire democracy-loving population of the state".

“His comments can have a negative impact on society. Hence, we have requested the state human rights commission to take action against the leader of the opposition,” Sur said.

The complaint further said that such comments favouring “encounter without trial” is especially not acceptable when it comes from an “elected lawmaker” like the Leader of the Opposition.

“Indirectly he has insulted the state assembly where he is himself a member. He deserves a bigger punishment since as a law-maker he is favouring breach of law. Such comments will terrorise the undertrial prisoner in the state,” Sur pointed out in his letter to the commission.