Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 8: Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police (SP), Abhishek Goyal, revealed that the chargesheet against Mangalore University city, Vittal Malekudiya, is yet to be cleared by the home ministry and therefore, has not been filed in court. Vittal was arrested on the allegation of having connection with Maosists on March 3 last year. The SP was replying to a query raised by Shekhar L, a Dalit activist, at the monthly meeting of scheduled castes and tribes

Shekhar noted that it has been over 16 months since Vittal was arrested initially, duly pointing out that the delay on the part of the police department was affecting the student’s future. He asked the police to either file chargesheet against Vittal, who was released four months after his arrest, or to absolve him of all the charges.

Goyal said that the department has been sending reminders to the department every quarter, and that several chargesheets, some even dating back to 2005, are pending with the department.

Issues like difficulties faced by the tribal people living in the forest areas like lack of access roads, no electricity connection, delay in execution of projects in naxal-affected areas etc because of forest department’s intervention, were taken up at the meeting. 

Goyal said that the police department has been following up the execution of projects recommended by it, duly supporting his claim through a power point presentation. He said the present status of these projects can be got from the office of the district deputy commissioner, which is the nodal office for executing these projects. He also added that a scheme of employing 21 youth from this region as home guards by making use of the special package has also been submitted to the deputy commissioner, and that these youth will be utilized for regulation of traffic after providing them training after government’s clearance is received.