http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/646489/
Khairlanji case: Dalit leaders want death for killers
Agencies Posted online: Wed Jul 14 2010, 17:45 hrs
Nagpur : Expressing dissatisfaction over the Bombay High Court verdict
in the Khairlanji killings, Dalit leaders of Maharashtra today asked
the state government to appeal in the Supreme Court to seek death
penalty for the convicts.
The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court today commuted the death
sentence of six convicts in the Khairlanji Dalit killings case to 25
years imprisonment.
"The government should approach the Supreme Court against the
verdict...I will speak to Chief Minister on this issue," Dairy
Development Minister Nitin Raut said.
The court verdict is unfortunate and the government should appeal in
the apex court, Raut, who is a prominent Dalit leader from Vidarbha
region, said.
Former minister Sulekha Kumbhare said she would speak to Home Minister
R R Patil and ask him to approach the Supreme Court immediately to
appeal against the HC ruling.
"We don't accept the HC verdict. Injustice has been heaped on Dalit
community. We demand death penalty for the accused," she said.
Former MP Prakash Ambedkar said the state government needs to take the
verdict seriously and appeal in the apex court to assuage feelings of
the Dalits who have been hurt by the HC ruling.
The Khairlanji verdict has come as a shocker to the Ambedkarite
movement, former MP and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale said.
"I will meet Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Home Minister R R Patil
to demand immediate appeal by the state government in Supreme Court,"
Athawale said.
"Instances of injustice against Dalits are on the rise all over the
country. Dalit masses should organise an agitation against such
injustice," he said.
Survivor too demands capital punishment
The lone survivor of Khairlanji dalit killing incident, Bhaiyalal
Bhotmange on Wednesday said he was unhappy with the High Court verdict
which commuted the capital punishment of six accused to life
imprisonment and demanded that Maharashtra government file an appeal
in this regard.
"The court decision was unexpected. The Maharashtra Government should
now go in for appeal against the HC order to give me justice,"
Bhotmange told reporters outside the court.
Not a single person has been confirmed death sentence which was
unfortunate, he added.
Defence lawyers Sudeep Jaiswal and Neeraj Khandewale were extremely
happy over the judgement.
"Our stand has been vindicated for the second time, first at special
court in Bhandara which awarded death sentence to six accused and gave
lifer to remaining two. And now today at the HC," they said.
Counsel for CBI, Ejaz Khan said prima facie, the court has upheld the
guilt of the accused and the quantum of punishment is the prerogative
of the High Court.
"We are happy, at this stage," he said.
Four members of Bhotmange family were brutally murdered by an angry
mob in Khairlanji village on September 29, 2006.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/
No comments:
Post a Comment