'Caste census': Karnataka govt will ensure no injustice happens to anyone, says Siddaramaiah
Kalaburagi/Bengaluru (PTI): Amid growing opposition to the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, popularly known as the 'caste census', from various sections of society, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday assured that his government will not let any injustice happen to anyone.
The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes' report was placed before the cabinet on April 11, and it will be discussed at a special cabinet meeting scheduled on April 17.
Karnataka's two dominant communities -- Vokkaliags and Veershaiva-Lingayats -- have expressed reservations about the survey that has been done, calling it "unscientific", and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted.
Objections have also been raised by various sections of society and there are also strong voices against it from within the ruling Congress.
"We have called a meeting. We will discuss in the cabinet tomorrow. This is the only subject that will be discussed in the cabinet. It is actually a socio-economic survey, not a caste census. We will discuss it and take a decision," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Kalaburagi in response to a question.
Asked about Vokkalaiga legislators meeting under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to discuss the caste census on Tuesday night, the CM said, "Let them do it. They will have to share their opinion in the cabinet. There are five Vokkaliga ministers. They will have to share their opinion after studying the report."
"This is a socio economic survey. No injustice will happen to anyone," he said, replying to a question on veteran leader and senior Congress legislator Shamanuru Shivashankarappa statement against caste census.
Findings of the survey is reportedly contrary to the "traditional perception" with regard to the numerical strength of various castes, especially the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas, making it a politically sticky issue, and ministers from these two communties are said to be preparing to place their objections during the next cabinet meeting, sources said.
The survey report reportedly estimates the population of the Lingayat community at 66.35 lakh and the Vokkaliga community population is said to be at 61.58 lakh.
In a stern message to his own party government headed by Siddaramaiah, Shivashankarappa, who also heads the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, asked whether those heading the government can continue their reign, facing opposition from Veershaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
"If they decide (to proceed with the report), it will backfire....major communities in the state are -- Veershaiva's first and second is Vokkaligas. Can they continue their reign facing opposition from these two communities? We (Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas) will fight together," he said.
Another Congress MLA, Basavaraju V Shivaganga from Channagiri, said the caste census report should not be made public or implemented, and urged the chief minister to call a meeting of all legislators to discuss the pros and cons and then decide on implementing it.
"A senior leader like Shivashankarappa has spoken in favour of the community and sent out a stern message. I support him, but I would not like to speak for only my own (Veershaiva Lingayat) community, many other communities also feel injustice," he said.
Hitting out at Veerashaiva-Lingayat ministers for not calling a meeting of party MLAs from the community, like the one chaired by Shivakumar with his Vokkaliga Congress legislators, Shivaganga demanded the resignation of seven Lingayat ministers in the government.
"What morality they have. I tried to call Minister Eshwar Khandre to discuss, but he did not answer my call. Let seven Lingayat ministers resign. They don't have the capacity to stand when the community is facing injustice...Have they called a meeting so far? They have become selfish. I urge them to call a meeting at least now," he added.
The Vokkaligara Sangha, the apex body of the influential Vokkaliga community, on Tuesday officially registered its strong protest to the survey report, calling it "unscientific".
They have urged the state government to reject it and conduct a fresh survey, while warning of strong agitation if the government proceeds with it.
Both Veershaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas, also few other communities have alleged that their various sub castes have been divided among different categories of OBC, resulting in decrease in their respective population numbers. They have alleged that many households were left out from the survey.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the state.
The State Backward Classes Commission, under its then chairperson H Kantharaju, was tasked with preparing a caste census report. The survey work was completed in 2018 towards the end of Siddaramaiah's first tenure as Chief Minister, and the report was finalised by his successor K Jayaprakash Hegde in February 2024.
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High courts upheld only 8 per cent of death sentences; SC confirms none in recent years: Report
New Delhi (PTI): Highlighting that a high acquittal rate of death row convicts by the Supreme Court and high courts demonstrates a pattern of "erroneous or unjustified convictions", a study of 10 years of death penalty data has revealed that the top court did not confirm any death sentences in recent years.
The study by Square Circle Clinic, a criminal laws advocacy group with the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, found that an overwhelming majority of death sentences imposed by trial courts did not withstand scrutiny at higher judicial levels. Acquittals far outnumbered confirmations at both the high courts and Supreme Court levels.
According to the report, the trial courts across India awarded 1,310 death sentences in 822 cases between 2016 and 2025. High courts considered 842 of these sentences in confirmation proceedings but upheld only 70 or 8.31 per cent.
In contrast, 258 death sentences (30.64 per cent) resulted in acquittals. The study noted that the acquittal rate at the high court level was nearly four times the confirmation rate.
Data showed that of the 70 death sentences confirmed by high courts, the Supreme Court decided 38 and did not uphold a single one. The apex court has confirmed no death sentences between 2023 and 2025.
"Wrongful or erroneous or unjustified convictions, then, are not random or freak accidents in the Indian criminal justice system. The data indicates they are a persistent and serious systemic concern," the report said.
Over the last decade, high courts adjudicated 1,085 death sentences in 647 cases, confirming only 106 (9.77 per cent). During this period, 326 persons in 191 cases, were acquitted.
The report attributed low confirmation rates to the appellate judiciary’s concerns regarding failures in due process. "This coincides with increased Supreme Court scrutiny of safeguards at the sentencing stage," the report said.
Of the 153 death sentences decided by the apex court over the last decade, the accused were acquitted in 38 cases. In 2025 alone, high courts overturned death sentences into acquittals in 22 out of 85 cases (over 25 per cent). The same year, Supreme Court acquitted accused persons in more than half of the death penalty cases it decided (10 out of 19), the report said.
The study highlighted that 364 persons who were ultimately acquitted "should not even have been convicted and unjustifiably suffered the trauma of death row". It added that such failures extend beyond adjudication and reflect serious lapses in investigation and prosecution.
The question of remedies for wrongful convictions remains pending before the Supreme Court. In September 2025, three persons acquitted by the apex court filed writ petitions seeking compensation from the state and argued that their wrongful convictions violated their fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
"In 2022, the Supreme Court crystallised a sentencing process in Manoj v. State of Madhya Pradesh , and mandated all courts to follow those guidelines before imposing or confirming a death sentence," the report read.
In 2025, the apex court held in Vasanta Sampat Dupare v. Union of India that death penalty sentencing hearings form part of the right to a fair trial and stressed that capital punishment can be imposed only after a constitutionally compliant sentencing process.
"However, even at the high courts whether the process mandated under Manoj is being complied with is in doubt,” the report said.
