People's Democracy

KARNATAKA

Women Score Victory after Relentless Struggle

Vishwas

THE progressive forces in general and the  women in particular in Kolar district in Karnataka scored a big victory after waging a relentless agitation demanding arrest of a man who was accused of killing his wife and daughter in a dowry harassment case.

Kolar district unit of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (popularly known as Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane – JMS) launched an indefinite day-night dharna on August 21, 2013 in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police in support of the demand. Various progressive organisations like the SFI, DYFI, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, CITU, KPRS, Tippu Secular Sene, Samata Sainik Dal and the CPI(M)  extended support to the stir. Hundreds of people participated in the dharna on different days as a mark of solidarity.

The stir was launched condemning the failure of the district administration and police department in arresting the main accused SK Santhosh Kumar who allegedly killed his wife C B Veena and two year old daughter Deepthi on July 10 colluding with his relatives.

Though the crime took place on July 10, the police failed to nab the accused and the parents and relatives of the deceased declared their resolve to fight for the justice under the banner of the JMS.

The day-night sit-in protest continued, undeterred by rain and inclement weather as the authorities failed to keep their words of arresting the accused in the given time. When there was no sign of authorities nabbing the absconding accused, the progressive organisations conducted protest in front of all taluk offices in the district and also laid siege to the DC office. Besides demanding the arrest of the accused in this particular case, the agitators also demanded that effective measures should be taken to curb growing atrocities against women in Kolar district.  A delegation of leaders also met the home minister to bring pressure on the government.

The concerned department has suspended Santhosh Kumar, who was working as a librarian with a Government First Grade College, from the services. CPI (M) state secretary GV Shriram Reddy, JMS state
president KS Lakshmi, vice president KS Vimala, district secretary V Geetha, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha state vice president GC Bayya Reddy, DSS leader T Vijay Kumar participated in the stir.
The organisations were planning a district bandh during the chief minister’s upcoming visit to the district. However that was dropped following finally the police arresting the main accused from a hideout in Puducherry on September 18, ie, on 29th day of the indefinite dharna.

The JMS and other organisations said it was a major victory for the agitation and should serve as a lesson to the perpetrators of crimes and the authorities who show laxity in dealing with the crimes. The organisations while saying it was a victory for the agitation, urged the authorities that there should not be any laxity in the case during the framing of charge-sheet against the accused. They also demanded that the Circle Inspector of Police should be suspended for his alleged role in letting the accused abscond in the initial stage as well as for using the vehicle of the victim’s family in the name of searching for the accused.