Will reopen doubtful B-report cases of dalits, says SP

The Superintendent of Police Annamalai has assured to reopen all doubtful B-report cases pertaining to Dalits in the police stations across the district.

Addressing Dalit community members at a grievance meet here, he directed the Dalit leaders to prepare a list of all doubtful cases involving Dalits, which were not handled properly by police. When Dalit leaders highlighted the biased approach of the police officials in registering the cases relating to atrocities against the Dalits, the SP promised that the issue would be addressed immediately. Leaders alleged that despite convincing the police officials of the severity of the crime, the officials still filed B-reports for all cases including the cases that came under the Dalit Atrocity Act to lessen the intensity of the crime.

Dalit leader Sunder Master raised the controversial issue of cremation ground in Ucchila and demanded justice. He said Rs 17 lakh was released to develop the cremation ground.

The SP has assured to take up the issue with deputy commissioner. Master also demanded shifting of the wine shops adjacent to Bhajana Mandali and Dalit Colony in Kodankuru. The SP said that a notice had been served to the wine shop owner.

He also demanded to stop the illegal stone crushing unit at Padekallu in Brahmavara where there were many dalit houses. Another Dalit leader Uday Kumar said that one Lakshmi, who was working in Social Welfare Department, was not given the due promotion citing the reason that her service report (SR) was missing. He alleged that the case was not registered under Dalit Atrocity Act, though reasons were apt. The woman was also subjected to sexual harassment by a former official in the department. The case is more than a year old and the person who misplaced the SR has not been brought to the law. He alleged that duplicate SR had also not been issued. The case is sidelined and a B-Report is written and submitted to the Court.

Annamalai said that a fresh compliant would be registered and the case would be investigated from the beginning. The Dalit leaders alleged that Kundapur Tahsildar treated Dalits badly. They said there were a number of cases against the officer. A case is already filed against the officer under Dalit Atrocity Act.

Uday Kumar said that following which a counter case was filed against him under 353 IPC citing the reason that he obstructed the public official from discharging the duty. He alleged that the PSI had created a fake report.

SP said that he would take up the Kundapur Tahsildar issue with the DC. The other issue that was raised was the harassment of the Belapu gram panchayat president, who is a Dalit, by a former president and his men. They also demanded proper fencing for Ambedkar  Bhavan in Adi Udupi as it was used for illegal activities.