Govt and media blatantly trivializing the Sangh Parivar orchestrated murders of innocent Muslims in DK: PFI

News Network

August 5, 2022

Mangaluru: The Popular Front of India's state executive committee has demanded an impartial investigation into the serial murders that took place in the coastal districts of Karnataka recently.

A PFI statement said that recently, within a span of 10 days, 3 young men were murdered in coastal Karnataka. The BJP government, which should have taken all three murder cases seriously by giving them equal importance has failed in this regard.

The BJP has instead been giving excessive attention to the murder of their party worker while blatantly trivializing the Sangh Parivar orchestrated murders of two innocent Muslim men, the statement said.

Although it is incumbent for the police department to investigate murder cases in the state, out of the three murders, it has been announced that the investigation into Praveen's murder will be handed over to the NIA, due to the sole reason that he was a BJP worker, the PFI statement alleged.

The malicious intent of the state government to prey on the innocent youth of the Muslim community under stringent laws is evident through this. Therefore, the Popular Front's state executive committee has demanded that the state government should abandon its discriminatory attitude and facilitate equal and impartial investigations into all three cases, the PFI demanded.

The statement noted that the outrageous news being broadcast by a section of the media about the murders is provoking the people emotionally. Furthermore, this type of media narrative is creating a mentality of vindictive retaliation among the youth.

Even as the police investigation into the murder cases is progressing, the media has been actively engaging in smear campaigns against the Muslim community and people's organizations like the PFI, it said.

Such behaviour on the part of the media is not just harmful to a healthy society but is also against the ethics of journalism. On this account, the executive committee demands that the media must stop such slanderous campaigns and take steps to ensure peace and harmony in the district, the statement said.

All the three victims belonged to poor families. In this regard, it was the state government's responsibility to provide equal compensation to all the affected families. But Chief Minister Bommai, who visited Praveen's house and gave Rs 25 lakh as compensation, did not visit Masood's residence in the same village and nor did he announce any compensation for his family, the statement said.

The PFI noted that similarly, neither government representatives nor the representatives of the people have visited Fazil's family and no compensation has been given to them.

The murders of a migrant worker from Kerala, Masood, BJP Yuva Morcha president Praveen Kumar Nettare and daily wage labourer Mohammad Fazil from Mangalpet in Dakshina Kannada district have ignited a debate on the communal divide and targeted killings by communal forces.

The investigation has revealed that Masood was killed in a road rage case and police arrested all the 8 accused within 24 hours. Praveen was killed for campaigning for a ban on halal meat and Fazil was killed in retaliation for Praveen's murder. The police have arrested all the main accused in Fazil's case.

The ruling BJP is pointing fingers at the PFI and the SDPI for creating a communal divide and inciting communal violence. Both the organisations have denied their involvement in the murders and challenged the BJP to prove its charges.

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‘Officials to pay from salary’: Supreme Court issues guidelines on ‘bulldozer justice’

News Network

November 13,2024

New Delhi: The Supreme Court took a firm stance on ‘bulldozer justice’ today, affirming that the Executive cannot bypass the Judiciary and that the legal process must not prejudge the guilt of an accused. In a significant judgment, the bench led by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan set new guidelines for demolition practices, responding to petitions challenging the controversial bulldozer actions taken against individuals accused of crimes.

The rise of this practice, termed 'bulldozer justice,' has seen authorities in various states demolish what they claim to be illegal structures belonging to accused individuals. However, multiple petitions questioned the legality and fairness of this approach, bringing the matter before the court.

Justice Gavai highlighted that owning a home is a cherished goal for many families, and an essential question was whether the Executive should have the authority to strip individuals of their shelter. “In a democracy, the rule of law protects citizens from arbitrary actions by the state. The criminal justice system must not assume guilt,” stated the bench, underscoring that due process is a fundamental right under the Constitution.

On the principle of separation of powers, the bench reinforced that the Judiciary alone holds adjudicatory powers and that the Executive cannot overstep these boundaries. Justice Gavai remarked, “When the state demolishes a home purely because its resident is accused of a crime, it violates the doctrine of separation of powers.”

The court issued a strong warning about accountability, stating that public officials who misuse their power or act arbitrarily must face consequences. Justice Gavai observed that selectively demolishing one property while ignoring similar cases suggests that the aim might be to penalize rather than enforce legality. “For most citizens, a house is the product of years of labor and dreams. Taking it away must be an action of last resort, thoroughly justified,” he said.

In its directives under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court established new demolition guidelines. These include:

Mandatory Show-Cause Notice: No demolition should occur without first issuing a show-cause notice. The person served has a minimum of 15 days or the duration stated in local laws to respond.

Transparency of Notice Content: The notice must include specifics about the alleged unauthorized construction, the nature of the violation, and the rationale for demolition.

Hearing and Final Order: Authorities are required to hear the response of the affected individual before issuing a final order. The homeowner will have 15 days to address the issue, with demolition proceeding only if no stay order is obtained from an appellate authority.

Contempt Proceedings: Any breach of these guidelines would lead to contempt proceedings. Officials who disregard these norms will be personally accountable for restitution, with costs deducted from their salaries.

Additionally, the court mandated that all municipal bodies establish digital portals within three months, displaying show-cause notices and final orders on unauthorized structures to ensure public transparency and accountability.

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