Atrocities on tribals investigated poorly: Christian Adivasi Sangatna
Quepem (Matters India): Complaints filed by tribals before Quepem police under the Atrocities Act are not investigated to the satisfaction of the victims and their families, Christian Adivasi Sangatna has alleged.
The tribal organization, working for the empowerment of tribals, has submitted a memorandum alleging poor investigations by the Quepem police, to the district magistrate and collector of South Goa.
Police have failed to register or file FIRs against the accused in three cases, the organization said in a complaint.
A memorandum signed by the organization’s secretary Joao Fernandes, president Caetano Carvalho and treasurer Lourence Vales stated that various complaints have been filed by members of the tribal community before the Quepem police under the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989, including three complaints filed by Lourenco Oliviera, Rosario Menezes and Sebastiana Carvalho, but police failed to register or file FIRs against the accused in all three cases, The Times of India reported.
The memorandum stated that as per rule 7 (1) of the above mentioned Act mandates that the investigation in tribal cases should be conducted by an officer not below the rank of a deputy superintendent of police. But in contravention to the provision of law, the memorandum stated, that the investigation was conducted by the PSI or PI.
Sebastiana Carvalho filed a complaint against her landlord for demolishing her house, while Rosario Menezes filed a complaint about his field at Gonvol-Cotombi that was destroyed.
“The complainants in tribal atrocities cases are treated like the accused in the case by the police as they are voiceless and powerless. The victims, who are mostly daily wage earners, are called to the police station and sometimes forced to settle/withdraw the complaints,” the memorandum stated.
The memorandum stated that the law mandates that investigations into atrocities against tribals should be given top priority and be completed within 30 days, but that the Quepem police lingered over most investigations for months together.
As per the information submitted by former DySP of Quepem Subash Goltekar, under the RTI Act, only five cases of atrocities against tribals have been filed by the police.
Reacting to the charges made by the organization, deputy superintendent of police Sammy Tavares, who recently assumed his position, said a chargesheet has been filed in the case of Rosario Menezes, while the case of Lourenco Oliviera is a subjudice matter. Tavares said Sebastiana Carvalho’s case was not registered as there was no documentation provided. Tavares stated that in the case of the other alleged atrocities, he has requested sanction from his authorities as the accused is at the rank of the deputy collector.
