Committee on Bharat Bandh violence to submit report in three months

The Rajasthan government has constituted a four-member committee to dispose of the cases registered against protesters who indulged in violence during the Bharat Bandh called by SC/ST community. The committee will submit its report within three months.

On April 2, a nationwide bandh was called by Dalit organisations to protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling that they say dilutes the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The protests turned violent after the demonstrators clashed with law enforcement agencies. Nearly 275 cases were registered in connection with the violence and rioting during the bandh across the state.

The committee will be headed by social justice minister Arun Chaturvedi. Three other members are civil supply minister Babulal Varma, chairman of Rajasthan heritage protection and development authority Oankar Singh Lakhawat and additional chief secretary, home, Deepak Upreti. The committee will submit its report to the home department within three months, said an official who did not wish to be named.

Twenty-three people from the SC community, who were in jail after being arrested for allegedly causing violence during the Bharat Bandh on April 2, have been released on bail. The government apparently wants to dispose of the cases before the assembly elections later this year. The government has decided not to make any more arrests in the cases before the committee submits its report.