Human rights panel slams K’taka govt for not submitting ATR in couple’s honour killing case
Bengaluru, Jan 25 (IANS) Karnataka State Human Rights Commission has flayed the state government for not submitting the Action Taken Report (ATR) in connection with the honour killing of a couple in Gadag district, who had entered into an inter-caste marriage.
The Registrar of the State Human Rights Commission has issued a warning to the Social Welfare Department’s Principal Secretary P. Manivannan and stated that the lapse would be considered seriously.
The Commission has also stated that the Social Welfare Department has violated Section E of the Human Rights Act 1993.
The Commission has written a letter to Manivannan regarding the non-compliance of the recommendations, sources confirmed on Saturday.
The Commission had submitted a report and recommendations to the government regarding the case and sought an ATR.
Even as the Commission wrote many letters seeking this report since 2019, the Social Welfare Department had turned a blind eye.
Ramesh Madar, a 29-year-old man from Lakkalakatti village in Gadag district and 23-year-old Gangamma Rathod had married after falling in love. It was an inter-caste marriage and the man hailed from an oppressed class.
In spite of opposition from their parents, the couple had moved to Shivamogga and settled there.
The couple had two children, a three-year-old boy and a two-month-old baby girl.
The brothers of Gangamma had barged inside their residence and hacked husband and wife to death in front of their children. The police had arrested the accused later.
The State Human Rights Commission had lodged a complaint in this regard considering it as a special case.
The Commission had written letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Gadag district, Deputy Director of the Social Welfare Department and district officials of the Ambedkar Development Authority.
The office of the Deputy Commissioner of Gadag had also written a letter recommending compensation to the orphaned children from the CM relief fund.
The Commission has sought a report on the situation of the orphaned children after the killing of their parents.
It also wanted to know whether the local police could have prevented the incident and whether the human rights of the children were being protected.
The Commission had also sent a notice to the SP asking why the police officers be made accountable for failing to prevent the murder of the couple.
The Commission had repeatedly sought report on schemes to protect the educational rights of the children and towards protection of their life.
Sources stated, following the rap by the Commission, the government has informed that the orphaned children will be given benefit of various government schemes and their educational rights would be protected under the law.
However, as the government failed to give the ATR report, after dispatching a serious warning, the case has been adjourned to February 5.
–IANS
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