Complaints of unsolved Dalit murders pour in at SC/ST grievance meet

Complaints of unsolved Dalit murders pour in at SC/ST grievance meet

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 26, 2011 : P. Keshava, the Dalit Sangarsh Samithi leader, complained of several unsolved Dalit murders at the monthly SC/ST grievance meeting held in the office of Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh on Sunday.

He gave examples of several unsolved Dalit murders such as the murder of a Dalit woman who was murdered in Kavoor 20 years back, the murder of Shantha in Kankanady 3 years back, the murder of a girl from Bejai who had visited Bagalkot, and the recent murder of cab driver Govardhan. He accused the police of being indifferent to Dalit murder cases. Regarding the murder of Govardhan, he said that the police have not yet unearthed even a single clue in this case although Govardhan was murdered a month back.

 

In response, Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh urged the Dalit community not to lose hope in the police, adding that the Mangalore police are trying their hardest to find the murderers of Govardhan. He said that the police have received a number of petitions regarding Govardhan’s murder and are hunting for clues. Stating that the police are investigating the case without any bias, he said that sometimes it takes the police a lot of time to crack a case.

S. R. Kumar, a member of the Dalit community, urged the city police to take stern action against money lenders in Mangalore. In response, the commissioner directed the police sub inspectors to close down illegal money lending businesses in the city.

Girish Kumar complained that a certain Dalit family in Yekkur is not given right of way. Explaining the case further, he said that Mahabala’s house near Yekkur bridge is surrounded on 3 sides by private land, adding that a central school has constructed a compound wall, blocking the only way in which the family could access the outer world.

In reaction, SP Sarvothama Pai of the civil rights enforcement cell advised the family to lodge a complaint with the assistant commissioner.

S. P. Anand of DSS once again complained about Pavoor Government School holding classes in Ambedkar Bhavan. In response, Mr. Sarvothama Pai said that he had already written to the ZP and the DDPI and had received a response that the school will be shifted within 3 – 4 months.

The Dalits also complained that DC Channappa Gowda had not convened an SC/ST grievant meet for the past one year