Mangalore, December 30: The issue of sexual harassment of Dalit women was raised at the monthly SC/ST grievance meeting held at the Police Commissioner's office in Mangalore on Sunday.
Raising the issue at the meeting chaired by Mutturaya, DCP (Law and Order), in the absence of Manish Kharbikar, Mangalore Police Commissioner, Dalit leader SP Anand said that Dalit women are being raped in the city and around but no apt action is being taken by the police.
The issue being serious as there is widespread outrage in the country in connection with the Delhi gang-rape incident, Mr. Anand said that police must be pro active in punishing the culprits. In the last month, there have been cases of sexual harassment of Dalit women in Surathkal, Moodbidri and other areas. Some of those were forced to comprise due to political pressure. Police must not let such cases of sexual violence end in compromises but instead must strive to bring the guilty to book, he said.
Ashok, another Dalit representative present at the meet, brought to the notice of Mr. Mutturaya a case of a Dalit girl from Vamanjoor being sexually exploited by a non-Dalit by name Nagaraj of Karambaaru, promising her of marriage. He has been troubling her by keeping her waiting and now that the matter has been taken to police station, he has gone absconding, Mr. Ashok said and appealed to the DCP to ensure that culprit is caught.
Dalit representatives urged the police higher ups to increase police patrolling in Dalit colonies at night as repeated instances of some drunken youth teasing girls and troubling people in the colony are taking place.
Brainwashed
In another interesting case, a woman from Puttur approached the DCP seeking action against a group for 'brainwashing' her husband.
Vanitha from Puttur said that members of an organization named 'Sanathan Samstha' has taken control over her husband, Lokesh to the extent that her husband has been spending all of his time only meditating in the house.
Holding Vasudeva, Balakrishna Shetty, Dayanand Hegde, Mahalingeshwara, Ravi Kumar, and Mohan Nayak of 'Sanathan Samstha' responsible for the state, she said that her husband is not bothered about the family responsibilities.
Kavita BT, ACP, (Central) took up the case and said that members of the organization would be questioned and steps will also be taken to ascertain whether Lokesh is mentally stable.
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