Karnataka will appoint a retired judge to look into the cases of Muslim youth in jail, coinciding with the controversial letter written by the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde asking the State Governments to avoid arresting innocent Muslim youth wrongfully. The Congress Government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is all set to take a decision to this effect.
According to State Home Minister KJ George, the State Government was planning to appoint a retired judge to look into the cases to Muslim youth who are in jail on terrorism charges.
He said, “We are discussing with the senior officials. I have already had three meetings on this issue. We are planning to appoint a retired judge to look in to this issue.”
In its manifesto, the Congress which won the Assembly polls with a comfortable majority, had promised to set up a State-level committee to look into cases of detention of Muslim youth under terror charges.
According to police sources, 226 suspects (mostly belonging to the Muslim community) have been booked under terror charges in the State since 2000. While 83 of them are out on bail, more than 15 have been taken by police of other States.
According to Irshad Ahmed Desai, convener, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), many Muslim youth were in jail on some flimsy ground or the other.
He said, “Many of the accused are aged between 18 and 25 and lodged in jails in Karnataka, Pune, Gujarat and Rajasthan, which include doctors and engineers. Most of them are from Hubli, Gulbarga, Bhatkal and Bijapur.”
However, a senior official in the Home Ministry on the condition of anonymity said, there were no complaints from any member of the minority community of harassment or victimisation by the police, such as filing false cases against them in the State. Meanwhile, the State BJP leaders have alleged that police atrocities on Hindus are on the rise after the Congress Government came to power in the State.
At a Press conference, State BJP general secretary CT Ravi and party spokesperson Ashwathnarayan alleged that the Home Department was targeting Hindu organisations and booking cases against them on false complaints.
Police personnel beat up some youths at laxmeshwar in Gadag district and at Haldur in Chikmagalur district during the immersion of Ganesh idols, and at Sira in Tumkur district over allotment of shops to a particular community, they alleged.
Commenting on the appointment of A retired judge CT Ravi said The Congress government was pursuing an appeasement policy to garner Muslim votes in the next general elections. Eom/blr