665 SC-ST atrocities cases not probed, says Siddaramaiah

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated his frustration over the poor response of the state in the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He pointed out that there had been 665 cases under the atrocities act that had not yet been probed, demanding that they be investigated in a timely manner. He repeated that chargesheets must be filed in such cases in 60 days flat. The CM made the comments during the State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting held at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday. “Steps should be taken to remove court injunctions in cases filed under the SC/ST Act.

Charge sheets must be filed within 60 days. Currently, 665 cases are pending investigation, and these must be resolved quickly. Low conviction rates in courts will not be tolerated, Siddaramaiah said. “Government prosecutors must argue effectively in atrocity cases to ensure justice for victims. Steps should be taken to prevent the accused from easily obtaining bail. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure strict punishment for the guilty,” he added.

Back in September 2023, Siddaramaiah had bemoaned in a similar State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting that Karnataka had a conviction rate of 3.44 per cent in atrocities cases, which ranks 21st in the country. “Special care should be taken to avoid injustice to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates in matters of backlog, recruitment, and promotions. The Chief Secretary (Shalini Rajneesh) has been instructed to hold departmental meetings on this issue,” the CM said.

SPs, DCs to face music over Devadasis: Siddaramaiah also warned Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Commissioners (Dcs) of various districts would face action over the presence of Devadasis under their jurisdictions because it was a banned practice. “If the devadasi system exists in any district, the responsibility lies with the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police. District administrations must take steps to rehabilitate devadasis and prevent further cases,” he said.

The CM also demanded that Forest Rights Committees must hold regular meetings and expedite the issuance of title deeds to eligible beneficiaries. “Of the 3,430 pending cases, the process must be completed within a month,” he said. “Once title deeds are issued, the names of beneficiaries must be updated in the land records without delay. Revenue department officials must prioritize this work, and forest dwellers should not be evicted under any circumstances,” he added.

Cell in every district: CM Siddaramaiah said that a District Vigilance and Monitoring Cell (DCRE) in every district. The same was approved in a Cabinet meeting earlier.