TNNLucknow: A Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court has held that the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) can recommend additional compensation to victims of human rights violations even if compensation has already been paid under other statutory provisions.A division bench of Justice Shekhar B Saraf and Justice Amitabh Kumar Rai dismissed a writ petition filed by Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd challenging the UP Human Rights Commission’s order directing payment of an additional Rs 10 lakh to a victim who had suffered electrocution in 2011. The electricity corporation had earlier paid Rs 65,000 to his father in 2017 and Rs 1 lakh to the victim in Feb 2025. The HR commission, however, directed payment of another Rs 10 lakh.The corporation challenged the order, arguing that the complaint filed before the commission in 2024 was barred by limitation as the incident had occurred in 2011.Rejecting the contention, the court observed that non-payment of compensation constituted a continuing violation of human rights. It further held that the corporation’s payment of Rs 1 lakh after filing of the complaint amounted to an acknowledgement under the Limitation Act.Interpreting the Protection of Human Rights Act, the court said the Commission’s power to recommend compensation was independent and additional to other legal remedies. Previous compensation paid to the victim could not restrict its jurisdiction to recommend further relief.
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