State cabinet withdraws 175 cases related to communal violence

The State cabinet on Monday decided to withdraw 175 cases filed against 1,614 persons relating to communal violence offences in Mysuru in 2009 and Shivamogga and Hassan in 2010, reported The Hindu.Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the cases were filed when BJP was ruling the state and were filed against members of the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) and the Popular Front of India (PFI) for allegedly attacking the police in Mysuru.Jayachandra reportedly said the decision was taken based on the recommendations by a Cabinet sub-committee which included ministers from the Law and Home Department, among others. The report however stated that neither the Law department nor the Home department had submitted any proposal to the Cabinet recommending withdrawal of cases.Explaining why the cases were being withdrawn, the law minister said, ““Generally, it is difficult to ensure acquittal in cases of communal violence. Also, the State Cabinet is competent to take a decision on withdrawing such cases as they are offences against the State.”The cases were registered in Mysuru in April 2009 and July 2009 where members of KFD and PFI were booked for allegedly attacking the police, besides other crimes. 114 cases were also filed in Shivamogga and 21 in Hassan in March 2010 against 1,400 persons in connection with communal violence that occurred following an article in a local vernacular daily, the report said.