He was speaking after releasing the People’s Tribunal Enquiry report on ‘Police atrocities in Coastal Karnataka coupled with failure of the judiciary in protecting citizens’ rights and liberties’ conducted by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties in association with the TIKC and the Catholic Sabha here on Tuesday.
“The Forums consisting of representatives from the judiciary, police, media, citizens and organisations should be able to discuss the issues with the people’s representatives in its monthly meetings,” Saldanha said.
Similarly, he added, “it is recommended that the judiciary must set up Grievance Cells at the district and state levels, which will be presided over by a judge, to entertain complaints of miscarriage of justice.”
Unfortunately, after the BJP government came to power, there was a sudden eruption of anti-minority violence.
Instead of containing, controlling and eliminating the anti-minority violence, the State government has provided official patronage to all those involved in it, Saldanha charged.
“If public confidence in the rule of law is to be restored, then a few of the errant police and judicial officers will have to be disciplined and if necessary they should be punished in the public interest,” he suggested.
Worst police
About 30 years ago, the Karnataka police was rated as the second best in the country, but the State has been listed as the worst in the country by the Transparency International, recently, Saldanha said adding, “a drastic overhaul both in attitude and functioning is absolutely essential.”
He said the report prepared by him with the help of other jury members Prof Nagari Babaiah, Prof Rita Noronha, Advocate Merlyn Martis and P B D’Sa, will be submitted to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.