No justice for oppressed SC, ST communities in Karnataka
Rape, murder, serious atrocities on the rise, conviction rate abysmal in Karnataka
Published: 23rd October 2023 08:15 AM
Express News Service
BENGALURU: Oppressed and marginalised communities continue to get the short end of the stick,
with statistics indicating a frightening quantum of crime unleashed against them even in a progressive state like Karnataka.
The state features in the list of 15 states where 98 per cent of the most serious atrocities were perpetrated against these marginalised communities. It’s a shame, said Edwin, chief researcher, of the Citizens Vigilance and Monitoring Committee. He said universally, when incidents of crime were down during the Covid months, India saw an increase in rapes against oppressed groups, especially underaged girls. Women activists said rape is highly under-reported, even less than 10 per cent.
“If this is the reported number, imagine what the real numbers are like,” said Edwin, adding that when convictions are a mere 1-2 two per cent, who cares about the legal deterrent? He quoted the ‘Bhagat Singh vs State of Gujarat’ case where the Supreme Court laid down that “every acquittal is a miscarriage of justice”. There are many to blame for acquittals — an apathetic police officer prosecutor or anyone in the legal system. In a special court in Tamil Nadu, when a particular prosecutor who could only get an abysmal 3 per cent conviction rate was changed, convictions went up to 50 per cent. The problem is pan-Indian, he said.
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Chairman Venkatesh Nayak said, “There is a visceral hatred against these communities, the reason for which is hard to fathom.’’Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently pulled officials concerned, saying convictions had dropped to just 3 per cent. But what he missed is that in 2021, convictions were an abysmal 1.5 per cent. Karnataka did not file a single appeal even after noticing the abysmal conviction rate, said Edwin.
Out of 118 criminal offences, rape and murder cases against Scheduled Tribes, there were zero convictions, and of 165 cases of rapes and murder against Scheduled Castes, there were only 10 convictions. “Across the nation, there is an apathy to address this issue even at the level of the Chief Minister’s Office,” he said.
The Dr Ambedkar Instant Monetary Relief Foundation hands out relief to the aggrieved, yet, rape survivors or next of kin of murder victims, who are eligible for relief, have to wait endlessly. He said it’s appalling that in Karnataka, 1,150 families were denied a total of Rs 33.08 crore in legitimate dues, and is systemic torture of the downtrodden.
Former MP and second chairman of the National Commission of SCs and STs H Hanumanthappa said, “Reservation order or power is vested with the President of India. The National Commission is appointed by the President to oversee and safeguard benefits to marginalised classes. The President has to look into this. They claim to have done a lot for the marginalised but the picture is very dismal.”
