NEW DELHI, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- India's rights panel said it found police personnel in central state of Chhattisgarh responsible for committing gang rape and sexual assault on women.
"The National Human Rights Commission has found 16 women, prima facie victims of rape, sexual and physical assault by the state police personnel in Chhattisgarh even as it awaits the recorded statement of about 20 other victims," a statement issued by NHRC said.
The rights panel has issued a notice to the local government of Chhattisgarh, asking it why it should not recommend interim monetary relief of 54,288 U.S. dollars to the victims.
"The commission has observed that it is of the view that prima-facie, human rights of the victims have been grossly violated by the security personnel of the government of Chhattisgarh for which the government is vicariously liable," NHRC said.
The rape and sexual assaults, according to NHRC, were committed on 34 tribal women in October 2015 during an operation to track Naxals.
NHRC said it has recorded statements of only 14 victims out of the 34 mentioned and statements of remaining 20 were yet to be recorded by its team.
Indian paramilitary troopers are battling thousands of armed Naxals in its several states across central and eastern India.
Following the allegations of rape police launched an investigation, after which NHRC took a suo motu cognizance on the media reports. However, no arrests have been made so far.
Naxalites are also known as "Maoists".
Maoist insurgency has its genesis in the violent left-wing rebellion that began in 1967 at village Naxalbari in Indian state of West Bengal.
Currently Maoists are active in more than a third of India's 600-odd districts across central and eastern India referred to as "Red Corridor".
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge".
New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.
Reports say the Naxal insurgency has claimed more than 6, 000 lives and rendered thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.
