Bengaluru, Jan 28 (NationPress) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah issued a directive on Tuesday mandating that police must file charge sheets within 60 days for cases involving atrocities.

During the State-Level Awareness and Monitoring Committee meeting held at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, he emphasized, “In cases of atrocities, a charge sheet must be submitted within 60 days. Should anyone obtain a stay order from the court, consultation with the Advocate General is necessary to seek a vacation of the stay order,” stated the Chief Minister.

He highlighted that the conviction rate for caste-based atrocity cases has remained below 3 percent for decades. He expressed concern over this statistic and noted that he had empowered DCRE cells with police station authority. “Yet, why has there been no increase in the conviction rate?” he questioned.

Furthermore, he urged officials to prioritize the quality of investigations into these cases.

During the meeting, Congress MLC Sudham Das raised concerns about the low conviction rate in atrocity cases compared to the higher rates observed in counter-cases.

He also mentioned that only three special courts have received approval, while the request for 24 additional special courts is still pending. The Chief Minister was made aware of this issue.

In reply, the Chief Secretary of the state, Shalini Rajneesh, assured that they would take this matter seriously and strive to expedite the approval process for the remaining special courts.

The Chief Minister warned that complaints alleging police involvement in filing counter-complaints in caste atrocity cases to undermine them would be taken seriously. “If such incidents are reported, strict action will follow against those at fault,” he asserted.

In addressing the officers, CM Siddaramaiah remarked, “If bail is easily granted to individuals accused in caste-based atrocity cases, it indicates a weakness on your part. This undermines our efforts to prevent caste-based atrocities.”

He expressed frustration and queried officials about the number of cases pursued in higher courts to annul bail in serious cases. He requested detailed information regarding such cases.

Congress MP E. Tukaram from Ballari and Congress MLA P.M. Narendraswamy highlighted that seniority lists within the police department were not being adhered to, which resulted in inequities for reserved categories. They noted that even when complaints reached senior personnel, resolutions were lacking. “Why? The ADGP Administration is not functioning properly,” they questioned. The Chief Minister, showing dissatisfaction, directed the Chief Secretary to address this issue in the next Cabinet meeting.