Expressing their grouse against Mr. Thimmaiah who was also present at the meet being chaired by Manish Kharbikar, the newly appointed Mangalore Police Commissioner, members of the Dalit community said that the officer in question had been exhibiting indifferent attitude towards Dalits and that crimes against Dalits including a series of unnatural Dalit deaths have been occurring frequently since the last two years after he took charge. They also accused him of being hand in glove with politicians and closing down cases denying Dalits justice, although he comes from an SC/ST background himself. He had also assisted the Moodbidri Tahshildar in demolishing a Dalit house which was said to be on government land but has not taken action against another person who has built a road on government property, they alleged, and hence demanded an immediate transfer of the “rowdy” circle inspector.
The remarks from the members of the Dalit community against the officer drew the ire of DCP Mutturaya, who said that the police department is not responsible for the actions of the Tahshildar and any action by him can only be questioned with the Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner. Mr. Kharbikar also advised that members of the Dalit community must raise their grouses at appropriate fora and he could only help in issues concerning the police department.
Dalit leader SP Anand raised the issue of the death of a Dalit girl from Belthangady who was working as a housemaid at a house in Kadri owned by a certain Lionel Mascarenhas. Shobha and Shesha, parents of the girl who were also present at the meet, later told mediapersons that they suspect their daughter has been killed by the house owners. Mr. Anand said that the girl's parents were asked to come to Mangalore by the house owner citing her ill-health but were not allowed to see her stating that she has been hospitalized. It was only the next day that she was told that she was dead, he said, stating that an unnatural death case (UDR) was registered at Kadri station with regard to the issue. When asked as to what is the status of the investigation, the Commissioner said that the forensic report is yet to be received.
Mr. Anand also brought to the notice of the new Police Commissioner, the use of certain words in a play staged under the banner of Tulu Sahitya Academy which offended Dalit sentiments, stating that the police have not taken any step with regard to it. The Commissioner assured that he would convene a meeting with the concerned authorities of the Academy as well as Dalit representatives and take a decision after talks.
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