Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the performance of the state in terms of conviction rate in cases of violence against Dalits is not satisfactory. He was speaking at the annual conference of senior police officers held at the office of the State Director General of Police on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said that if the victims are to have faith in the system, the quality of investigations into cases of atrocities must be improved. He gave instructions that a scientifically valid charge sheet should be submitted. “Put a complete stop to the incidents of violence against women and children. Punishment should be increased. Otherwise, the blame will be on the DCPs themselves for this failure,” the CM warned the officers.
“Our government has given a free hand to the police. My commitment is that we should not poke our nose in the police work. But the free hand should not be misused. It should be beneficial to the people,” Siddaramaiah said. He said that it is a bad development that police officers are eager for transfers and are also using their caste. The Chief Minister told them not to do so.
We are a secular nation. We should strengthen the aspirations of our constitution, he said. Crime cases can be reduced with the use of modern technology, he said.
Grants will be set aside in the budget for the construction of Suvarna Police Bhawan, to commemorate 50 years of Karnataka unification. The CM assured that the vacant police posts will also be filled. Home Minister G Parameshwar, Home Secretary Umashankar, State Director General of Police Alok Mohan, Chief Minister’s Secretary Trilok Chandra, Chief Minister’s Political Secretaries Govindaraju and Naseer Ahmed were present.
Earlier speaking to the media on January 15 the Chief Minister said that his government is not trying to protect any accused. He was speaking in the context of the Haveri gang rape case in which his government has been accused of poor law and order.
“We will punish whoever takes the law into their hands. Our government does not try to protect anyone. The accused have been arrested in the gang rape case and the investigation is on. No one in our government is allowed to take the law into their hands. We will take legal action. Those in SIT are also policemen. The case is being investigated and will be decided after the preliminary report is received. The home minister visited when a woman was raped in Belgaum district. I myself instructed to visit. If one part is to visit the victim and offer consolation, another part is to take legal action. We have done both” Siddarmiah said.
