THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There has been a substantial increase in atrocities against Dalits in Kerala, said National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) vice chairman L Murugan here on Wednesday. As many as 1,000 incidents of crime, including 12 murders, 155 rapes, 31 cases of atrocities under SC/ST Act and 685 criminal cases were registered during the 11 months from June 2016 to April 2017, as per the data provided by the State Crimes Records Bureau, he told reporters.
Kerala has recorded the highest number of rape cases in which the victims are members of SC/ST communities. Murugan said the commission, under the leadership of chairman Ramshankar Katheria, would conduct a review meeting in September to take stock of the situation in Kerala.
He also said the state government should grant `25 lakh to the family of Rajesh on a par with the assistance provided to the family of NCP leader Uzhavoor Vijayan. He said NCSC has asked the secretary for SC/ST Welfare to allot land under Land Reforms Act to Kumari, a Dalit woman whose house was demolished recently. He said he will also visit the family of Vinayakan who died in police custody. “Though two policemen were suspended for Vinayakan’s death, the authorities have failed to invoke provisions of the SC/ST Act against the officers,” he said.