Truckers’ stir to continue as talks with CM Siddaramaiah fail to break deadlock
Bengaluru, Apr 15 (PTI): The indefinite strike of the truckers in Karnataka will continue as talks with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah failed to yield any breakthrough, a truckers’ body office bearer said on Tuesday.
Despite the Chief Minister's appeal to the truckers to call off the strike in public interest, the truckers refused to relent, citing the state government's failure to meet their demands including a reduction in diesel prices and concrete assurances on toll-related issues.
The strike launched at midnight between Monday and Tuesday, brought the movement of Karnataka-based trucks to a standstill affecting transportation of goods within and outside the state.
The protest was spearheaded by the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, which cited rising fuel prices and alleged harassment at toll plazas, as the main reason for the stir.
The association is an umbrella organisation of 129 truckers associations with six lakh members — drivers, agents and truck owners.
As the trucks remained stationed at the truck terminals across the state, due to the strike, the Chief Minister convened a meeting with the FOKSLOAA office bearers on Tuesday evening.
The FOKSLOAA delegation led by its president G R Shanmugappa attended the meeting.
The protesters were adamant about reduction of diesel prices, but the government rejected their demand.
“The talks have failed. Our strike will continue. The government did not agree to reduce the diesel prices,” FOKSLOAA general secretary Somasundaram Balan told PTI.
After the meeting the Chief Minister’s office issued a statement that the duty on diesel has been increased by Rs two in the budget.
“But the price of diesel is lower in our state compared to neighbouring states,” the statement read.
The CM said the state government is aware of the demands of the truckers’ federation. He appealed to the lorry owners to cooperate with the government as the government is pro-poor.
“The state government is spending about Rs 14,000 crore every year on improving roads. Rs 83,000 crore has been earmarked for capital expenditure this year,” he explained in his statement.
The government will review other demands, including the lifting of restrictions on the entry of lorries into the city during the traffic jam period.
He further said another meeting will be held with the truckers in this regard.
The effect of the stir was evident as trucks remained off roads in many parts of the state, especially in cities like Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Tumakuru.
The strike may affect the economic activities in the state severely, resulting in an increase in prices of essential commodities.
Harish Sabharwal, president of All India Motor Transport Congress told PTI that the initial response showed that the stir was successful.
According to him, neither the trucks from any part of India would enter Karnataka, nor trucks from the state will go out.
The FOKSLOAA gave a call for an indefinite strike demanding to solve critical and long-standing issues faced by the road transport sector in the state.
Steep hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel resulted in an increase in price by five rupees per litre over the last nine months, severely escalating operating costs for transporters, a letter sent by the association to its members read.
Persistent extortion and harassment at state toll plazas cause undue stress and financial burden, the association alleged.
Further, the non-abolition of border checkposts, which continue to function redundantly despite GST implementation and the proposed increase in fitness renewal fees for older vehicles, which would heavily impact small and medium operators, are also among the reasons cited.
The federation alleged that the stir is also against the unreasonable no-entry restrictions in Bengaluru, which hampers operational efficiency and timely delivery of goods, and the widespread harassment by Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) and microfinance institutions, including unlawful vehicle seizures and mental harassment of vehicle owners.
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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.
