NCSC writes to CS, DGP for not registering cases of atrocities against dalits

CHENNAI: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has sent notices to chief secretary V Irai Anbu and DGP C Sylendra Babu asking the officials to instruct the district level vigilance and monitoring committees (DLVMC) to ensure that all the cases of atrocities against dalits are taken to the court and not closed as mistake of facts (MF) cases.

In a letter written on May 2, S Ravivarman, director of NCSC, said that only courts have the authority to decide on cases of atrocities cases and not the district-level committees. “The NCSC has observed that invariably in all the districts of Tamil Nadu, the DLVMCs are deciding the atrocities cases as MF without the knowledge of its powers.

It may be noted that due to the MF declaration of atrocity cases by DLVMCs, the very core of the SC/ST (POA) Act gets diluted,” said Ravivarman. “NCSC strongly opines that only the court can arrive at a conclusion in atrocity cases. The opinion of the public prosecutor has to be sought only for the appeal of MF cases decided by the court and not for deciding the cases in DLVMCs,” said Ravivarman.

Recently, NCSC received complaints that cases of atrocities against Dalits are settled outside courts and police stations by lawyers and caste outfit leaders and are marked as MF cases resulting in denial of justice to the victims.

Courtesy : TOI

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