Prominent Republican leaders Prakash Ambedkar and Jogendra Kawade have welcomed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) decision to appeal the July 14 high court verdict in Khairlanji case in Supreme Court. The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court's decision to commute the death sentence of six convicts has come as a shock for Republican leaders.
The Dalit leaders will lead a march to Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai on Friday to protest what they say is state's mishandling of the investigation and prosecution of the case.
"It was the moral responsibility of the CBI and I am happy they are fulfilling it. I am sorry to say that the state has not done its bit. Even at this stage, the state can absolve itself of its anti-Dalit attitude by appointing a judicial commission in Khairlanji killings and reinvestigate the case," said Kawade, who had resigned as legislator to protest the alleged mishandling of the case by the government.
"I stand by my allegations that the Congress-NCP government in the state and home minister R R Patil have conspired to weaken the case from the start so that charges of Atrocities Act (1989) and that of rape do no stick. The gory way in which the Bhotmange family members Surekha, her daughter Priyanka, sons Sudhir and Roshan were killed and later their bodies were defiled were enough to press the Atrocity charge. But R R Patil, his party's local legislator Nana Panchbudhe were more worried about the NCP image and influenced investigations so that two crucial charges were diluted," said Kawade.
He said his People's Republican Party will constitute a fact-finding committee and submit a report within three months. "In Mumbai riots case Srikrishna Commission was appointed while Gundewar commission was set up to probe Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar case. On the same lines, the government should set up a judicial commission to look into Kharirlanji case in its entirety, including the role of politicians in influencing its investigations," said Kawade who is in Mumbai to organise the march. "The high court delivered judgement but not justice," he remarked referring to commuting of death sentence to imprisonment of 25 years.
Bharatiya Republican Party Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar, was, however, hopeful that the CBI appeal in Supreme Court could serve the purpose of securing justice to Bhotmange. "In my opinion the high court did not consider the portion relating to cruelty and brutality of the crime based on which the lower court felt it was the rarest of rare cases. The high court apparently viewed the case as revenge killing," said Ambedkar. He was hopeful that the crucial aspect of the case would not be overlooked in the apex court. The caste angle was not given credence in the high court, said Ambedkar.
The Dalit leaders will lead a march to Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai on Friday to protest what they say is state's mishandling of the investigation and prosecution of the case.
"It was the moral responsibility of the CBI and I am happy they are fulfilling it. I am sorry to say that the state has not done its bit. Even at this stage, the state can absolve itself of its anti-Dalit attitude by appointing a judicial commission in Khairlanji killings and reinvestigate the case," said Kawade, who had resigned as legislator to protest the alleged mishandling of the case by the government.
"I stand by my allegations that the Congress-NCP government in the state and home minister R R Patil have conspired to weaken the case from the start so that charges of Atrocities Act (1989) and that of rape do no stick. The gory way in which the Bhotmange family members Surekha, her daughter Priyanka, sons Sudhir and Roshan were killed and later their bodies were defiled were enough to press the Atrocity charge. But R R Patil, his party's local legislator Nana Panchbudhe were more worried about the NCP image and influenced investigations so that two crucial charges were diluted," said Kawade.
He said his People's Republican Party will constitute a fact-finding committee and submit a report within three months. "In Mumbai riots case Srikrishna Commission was appointed while Gundewar commission was set up to probe Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar case. On the same lines, the government should set up a judicial commission to look into Kharirlanji case in its entirety, including the role of politicians in influencing its investigations," said Kawade who is in Mumbai to organise the march. "The high court delivered judgement but not justice," he remarked referring to commuting of death sentence to imprisonment of 25 years.
Bharatiya Republican Party Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar, was, however, hopeful that the CBI appeal in Supreme Court could serve the purpose of securing justice to Bhotmange. "In my opinion the high court did not consider the portion relating to cruelty and brutality of the crime based on which the lower court felt it was the rarest of rare cases. The high court apparently viewed the case as revenge killing," said Ambedkar. He was hopeful that the crucial aspect of the case would not be overlooked in the apex court. The caste angle was not given credence in the high court, said Ambedkar.
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