On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed concern over the declining conviction rate in state SC/ST atrocity cases. At Vidhana Soudha during a State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting, he said that the conviction rate has fallen from 10 percent in 2020 to 7 percent in 2024 and needs urgent corrective measures.
After the meeting, Siddaramaiah told reporters it was necessary to give victims justice. “To ensure the conviction rate in SC/ST atrocity cases is higher than 10 per cent, law enforcement officials should take requisite measures,” he said.
He also ordered police officers to hold regular review meetings with prosecution lawyers to address the issue. He also directed Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to hold meetings every three months, failing which necessary action will be taken against erring officers and to assess the cases in question and make sure they were being progressed as per law.
“In the meeting, ministers, MLAs, and MPs also raised issues such as pending cases and backlogs. The Chief Secretary and I are very much active in clearing the backlog and the vacant government posts,” said Siddaramaiah. He also talked of reservations on the issue of promotions.
The Chief Minister’s Office later repeated that government prosecutors must argue their case to obtain a sentence of justice for the victims. Also, it should be taken steps to prevent defaulting accused people from getting their bail easily. The statement added that offenders must be strictly punished and that this is a collective responsibility.
Siddaramaiah also sought timely legal procedures, saying officials should file charge sheets in such cases within the mandated 60-day period. Ganesh has claimed that the government is trying to strengthen legal proceedings and enhance the conviction rate to ensure justice for SC and ST communities.
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