Karnataka government to establish 33 Special Police Stations for SC/ST atrocity cases
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government announced on Thursday the establishment of 33 police stations dedicated to handling cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities. This initiative is aimed to improve the efficiency of investigations and increase the currently low conviction rates for such cases.
The state government plans to fill 450 vacancies in these new stations to ensure they operate effectively. This move is part of a broader effort to enhance the enforcement of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989.
Karnataka joins states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala, which have already implemented similar measures. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah previously highlighted this initiative in his 2023-24 budget, focusing on strengthening the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement.
The state Cabinet has approved the creation of one special police station per district, with Bengaluru receiving two. Each station will be headed by an IPS officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police. The total expenditure for establishing and maintaining these stations is estimated to be around Rs 73 crore annually.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil, speaking after the Cabinet meeting, noted that local police forces are currently overburdened with various responsibilities, including law and order maintenance, traffic control, providing security to dignitaries, and election duties. This workload has adversely affected the efficiency of police investigations, particularly in cases of atrocities against SC/ST communities.
Minister Patil emphasized that the new specialized police stations would ensure quicker and more focused investigations of atrocity cases. He acknowledged the low conviction rates, citing that out of 7,633 registered cases since 2022, only 1,723 had been disposed of, with 1,363 acquittals and just 68 convictions—a mere 4 percent conviction rate.
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Congress misleading public on National Herald case, matter still in court: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the trial court's decision in the National Herald case and said the court refused to take cognisance of the complaint but did not set aside the case.
The case is still pending trial in the Delhi High Court, and the trial court in its order on Tuesday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted.
"The court yesterday (Tuesday) said that since it is a private complaint and no FIR has been lodged, it will not take cognizance of it. It's a technical matter. The court also said that ED can continue its investigation further. The court did not set it aside," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here
"Its trial is still going on. Sonia Gandhi is still Accused Number-1 and Rahul Gandhi Accused Number-2," the BJP spokesperson said, alleging, "The Gandhi family thrives on deceit, deception, and propaganda."
