The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Do not implement KCOCA, jury urges Government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 15, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Do not implement KCOCA, jury urges Government

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The jury of a public hearing held on custodial torture has urged the Government not to implement the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) in the light of the fact that “extraordinary laws” such as TADA have “played a key role in perpetuating torture and entrenching impunity”.

The 24-member jury, which heard 98 cases at the hearing organised by the National Project on Prevention of Torture in India (Karnataka) for two days, came down heavily on commissions set up by the State in redressing torture and other violations, for their failure.

‘Decorative bodies’

Chairperson of the jury, Justice Suresh Hosbet, retired judge of the Bombay High Court, said that bodies like the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission had been “unresponsive in providing redress to individuals who have been falsely charged by the police of committing a crime”. He described them as “largely decorative bodies” in stark contrast to their mandate to act swiftly. The jury also spoke about the connivance of other agencies — such as the medical fraternity — in abetting torture.

Talking about abysmally low conviction rates in registered custodial death cases, Justice Hosbet said that the National Human Rights Commission had recorded 684 cases since 1996, of which only five had seen conviction. He said rights bodies set up by the Sate have failed to protect citizens against “state terrorism”.

Senior advocate and former Chairperson of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission Ravivarma Kumar, who presided over the closing of the hearing, pointed out that in countries like the United Kingdom, unlike in India, cases of police atrocities are investigated by independent agencies.

The national tribunal has been holding similar public hearings in other parts of India and registered over 6,000 cases in 47 districts in nine Sates.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka