Committee alleges dilution of 'caste factor' in Khairlanji case

The Bombay High Court had commuted the death sentence of six accused to 25-years imprisonment

PTI | July 16, 2010



The Khairlanji Action Committee has alleged that the most important "caste factor" was diluted in the infamous Dalits killing case during the trial and subsequently when the Bombay High Court commuted the death sentence of six accused to life imprisonment.

"We had drawn the attention of then Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on November 12, 2007 about mitigating the caste factor in Khairlanji case involving the brutal murder of four members of a Dalit family on September 29, 2006. But the case was treated by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam as a mere murder trial," Action Committee Convenor Milind Pakhale, told reporters here.

Pakhale said Nikam did not ask questions to prime witnesses-- Bhaiyalal Bhotmange and Siddartha Gajbhiye-- about land disputes, house destructions besides abuse and vulgar gestures towards deceased teenager Priyanka.

The Convenor also raised questions on the professionalism of Nikam and claimed that no dalit organisation or individual had demanded Nikam's appointment as SPP in the case.

"Now the onus is on the state government to challenge the verdict in the apex court," he said yesterday.

It was unfortunate that the court proceedings which should have been completed within 6 months was dragged to 16 long months, the Committee alleged.

Comments

 

Other News

India calls for doubling bilateral trade with UK by 2030

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour

When religion, politics and Bollywood come together

Tavleen Singh, noted journalist and political commentator, has turned to fiction, with her debut novel ‘The Actor’ (HaperCollins India). Set in the near future, it has a superstar, Amit Singh, turning to politics, when the political landscape is dominated by prime minister Guru Gaynendraj

Cabinet approves setting up of Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority

The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of Transp

Why foundational literacy and numeracy is key to school education

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) are often described as the building blocks of education. Yet, their significance goes well beyond a child’s ability to read a sentence, write a response or solve a basic mathematical problem. These foundational skills shape how children understand the world,

When police data becomes the algorithm

For decades, policing has followed a familiar sequence: a crime occurs, the police respond, an investigation produces records and those records become part of the institutional memory of the criminal justice system. Artificial intelligence is beginning to alter that sequence. Instead of merely recording

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter