NHRC sources said today that it has asked the Karnataka government to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 in each case of simple injury caused by police beating up of farmers while it said the cases of prolonged treatment or hospitalisation should be decided on the merit of individual case.

The State government was also directed to constitute a committee, headed by an officer of the rank of secretary, to assess the quantum of property loss and nature of injury of individual farmers of the ten villages of Hassan district, who became victims of police atrocities, by inviting public claims.

The State was directed to sent the compliance report to NHRC by December 28 next. NHRC gave this direction on a number ofcomplaints regarding the incident received from former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily, former Minister G Puttabswamy Gowda, former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court D M Chandrashekhar, former leader of Opposition H K Patil, all India Kisan Sabha secretary M Gopal and former MP P K Ramaiah.

The complaints stated that farmers were agitating to draw the attention of the State towards the depletion of water table in the region due to heavy seepage in the Bagur-Navile tunnel supplying drinking water to Tumkur region. This has resulted in tanks and wells drying up and the land going barren, rendering more than two lakh coconut trees yieldless and resulting in loss of more than Rs 25.61 crore to the farmers.

After failing to draw the attention of the Government through repeated protests and petitions, the farmers had resorted to an agitation and stopped the flow of water in the main canal by constructing a mud wall, the complaints stated and added that the agitation lasted over 90 days and policeremoved the blockage on July 19.

The next day following burning of two State Transport buses by unruly mob, the police entered these villages and committed atrocities on innocent villagers mercilessly beating up men and women. The police did not even spare two pregnant women, two deaf and dumb boys and a blind girl.

A special panel appointed by the NHRC to make on-the-spot investigation found the allegations against the police true. The report stated that many innocent persons were arrested and a lot of property was damaged as a reign of terror was unleashed in the entire area forcing men to flee the villages for 7-8 days.

The special panel held the Circle Inspector S G Vijaykumar and SIT Nataraj responsible for police atrocities on innocent villagers. The report said that DSP in-charge of the area had given a poor account of performance of his supervisory duties and also DC and SP of Hassan had shown lack of sensitivity and responsibleness to the plight of the villagers.

He recommended that allvictims of police action must be compensated for their physical injuries and loss of properties and a suitable mechanism should be evolved for inviting and settling their claims. Action should be taken against the errant police officials and State government should look into the question of depletion of water table and compensate villagers monetarily for their past and current losses, he had suggested.

The Karnataka government agreed to go into the root cause of farmers' agitation. It has decided to hold departmental inquiry against errant officials.