The Kalaburagi district unit of the Akhila Bharat Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane (ABJMS) and Pragatipara Sanghatanegala Horata Samiti has planned to organise a Belthangady Chalo on August 28 demanding reinvestigation of the 2012 rape and murder case of 17-year-old Soujanya.
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State president of the Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane Meenakshi Bali, addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi on Thursday, said that around 60 progressive organisations working for woman rights will gather in Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada to register their protest against the heinous act and demand that the State government conduct a fair and thorough investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the 11-year-old rape and murder case of Soujanya in that district.
Accusing police officers of building a case by arresting an innocent Santhosh Rao and tampering with evidence, Ms. Bali demanded that the government to take stringent action against them, including the investigation officer, and the doctor who tampered with the post-mortem report of Soujanya.
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She urged the State government to take steps to ensure a proper and speedy investigation of the crime and demanded the implementation of the recommendations of Justice J.S. Verma Committee to curb such crimes.
The State government should also order a probe into the unnatural deaths reported in Belthangady taluk in the past few years.
Ms. Bali said that the agitators will also stage a protest at Koralli and Devantagi villages of Aland taluk condemning the sexual assault and murder of minors in both the villages recently.
Child rights
Ms. Bali urged the district administration to constitute a committee of retired teachers, professors, social workers and resource persons for conducting awareness programmes on child rights and to educate students about PoCSO Act in schools and colleges.