Six special courts to be set up for SC/ST trials, says CM Fadnavis

Mumbai: The CM Devendra Fadnavis-led state government has appointed six special courts for the trial of dalit cases registered under the Atrocity Act to woo the community. He directed the home department to take steps to increase the conviction rate under the Act.

Due to the judgment of the Supreme Court, diluting the provisions of the Atrocity Act, the preliminary inquiry of the complaint was binding before registering an offence by the superintendent of police. After dalit anger across the country against the BJP-led government, a special Act was passed recently, protecting the earlier provisions of the Act. Due to the Maratha reservation stir and other incidents, the dalit community is feeling unsafe. Considering the upcoming elections of the Lok Sabha and Assembly, the CM Fadnavis-led government has increased the number of trial courts across the state. Now six special courts would be functional soon.

Now six special courts would be functional soon. only for cases filed under the Atrocity Act, said minister of state for social justice Dilip Kamble to The Asian Age.

The Thane, Aurangabad, Amaravati, Nagpur fast-track courts have already started and steps would be taken for setting up Pune and Nashik courts immediately. These courts were handling other cases too, but now six special courts have been assigned only for cases under the Atrocity Act, said Kamble. He added, "Over 1,341 cases have been registered under the Act in the last two years. In Kolhapur, 302 cases pending, in Nashik 212, Konkan 106, Aurangabad 154, Nanded 166 and Amaravati 203."

In 233 cases, the compensation was not given to the complainants as per the provisions of the Act as they did not have caste proof. CM Fadnavis directed that these cases be resolved in 15 days."

Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis directed officers to implement the provisions of the Atrocity Act properly to protect dalits. The high-power committee meeting was held at Sahyadri guest house in which social justice minister Rajkumar Badole, Vinod Tavde, Dilip Kamble and some MPs and MLAs were present. CM Fadnavis asked the home department to prepare a detailed study report about the cases registered in the last five years and the outcome. It would help to increase communal harmony, he said.