Monday, June 17, 2013

Brinda Karat decries pendency of dalit atrocity cases



CPIM politburo member Brinda Karat said that about 1.1 lakh cases of atrocities against dalits have been pending in various courts across the country.

Speaking at meeting in Madurai on Saturday to felicitate advocates who fought in the courts for rights of dalits of Uthapuram village, Karat said that according to the National Crime Records Bureau some of the cases have been pending for several years. Reeling out statistics, Karat said that on an average 32,600 odd cases of atrocities against dalits are booked across the country which means every day roughly 93 dalits are affected. "In 2012 alone, more than 45,000 cases of atrocities against dalits have been booked across the country. However, most of these cases remain pending without any progress. Only 23 people who were accused in these cases were convicted in the whole year,'' she said. At thes national level, only a meagre 3.6% of the cases against dalits see their logical end and the perpetrators are punished, she said.

She lauded the advocates for their role in Uthapuram incident and said that without the advocates, the atrocities against dalits of the Uthapuram could have continued. Karat pointed out that the court has ordered distribution of relief to affected dalits of Uthapuram, but the distribution is yet to be completed.

Advocates U Nirmalarani, R Rajkumar, D JAyakumar, P Selvaraj and P Rajan were felicitated at the event. Villagers of Uthapuram who were present at the function said that when they were harassed by the non- dalits of the village, several advocates they had approached refused to appear for them in the court. But the five took up the case and won it. They also refused to take their fee from the villagers in a goodwill gesture.
(Courtesy : Times of India)

Kerala CM Chandy should quit: V S Achuthanandan

Leader of the Opposition, Kerala and CPIM CC member V.S. Achuthanandan has said that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is accountable for the involvement of his office in the solar panel scandal. Reiterating the demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister and a judicial inquiry into the scandal on Sunday, Mr. Achuthanandan said that evidence pointed to the involvement of Mr. Chandy also in the scandal.

Saritha S. Nair, accused of swindling people by promising solar power units, had told the police that the Chief Minister had given her a recommendatory letter asking various government departments to help her with the projects. Mr. Achuthandnan said the UDF government, which was involved in corruption and sex rackets, had now emerged as organisers and aides of swindlers. Besides the personal staff of Mr. Chandy, Ministers were also allegedly involved in con operations by Saritha and her live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan.

The Chief Minister should disclose the connection of his personal staff and Ministers with the accused and how they came to misuse their powers and influence when the Chief Minister’s office was claimed to be transparent in its dealings.

Biju Radhakrishnan was absconding in the case related to the murder of his first wife, according to the police. However, the Chief Minister had held closed door conversations with him for an hour in Ernakulam Government Guest House, according to M.I. Shanavas, MP, who had arranged the meeting. An explanation was also due from Mr. Chandy as to how Saritha could meet him at Vignan Bhavan in Delhi despite high security at the buildings. Mr. Achuthanandan demanded that the source of income of Thomas Kuruvila, aide of the Chief Minister in Delhi, should also be probed. He had stayed at Kerala House in Delhi on seven occasions when the Chief Minister was there. He alleged that Ministers Arayadan Mohammed, K.C. Joseph, K.P. Mohahan, and M.K. Muneer and former Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar had links with Saritha and her company besides Union Minister of State K.C. Venugopal.
(courtesy : The Hindu)