Bengaluru
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday directed police officials to file chargesheets in cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, within the mandated 60-day period. He expressed concern over delays and the low conviction rate in such cases across the State.
Speaking at a meeting of the SC/ST Atrocities Vigilance and Monitoring Committee at Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah said that out of 6,635 cases filed since 2023, chargesheets had been filed in 4,912, but only 4,149 were submitted within the 60-day deadline. “Convictions have taken place only in 36 cases, while 679 cases remain under investigation,” he pointed out.
The Chief Minister called for removal of stay orders in 56 pending cases and asked police to ensure fast-tracking of trials. He warned of strict action against officers who collude with the accused. “Currently, the conviction rate is only about 10%. This must improve to deliver justice to victims,” he stressed.
Siddaramaiah also promised enhanced medical compensation for atrocity victims suffering disability. On fake caste certificate cases, he directed officials to initiate recovery of benefits obtained fraudulently, noting that courts had already confirmed forgery in 170 cases.
Observing a rise in counter-complaints, he asked police to conduct spot verifications before filing FIRs.
The Chief Minister also announced that the government would soon unveil a rehabilitation package for Devadasis, with survey work underway to finalise assistance and financial support measures.
