Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Rishiskesh Sonawane on Friday said that cases are scrutinised in length before approval is granted to file B reports in courts saying there is no evidence to prove a charge made in a complaint.
Denying the charge that the District Police are being influenced to file B reports in cases related to atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Mr. Sonawane said that charge-sheets are being filed in most of the cases. Only in a few cases, B reports are filed and they are done after approval by Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) Devajyoti Ray.
During the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes grievance redressal meeting held at the office of Mr. Sonawane, convenor of Dalit Hakkugala Samanvya Samiti Shekar Laila said that B reports are being filed in many cases of atrocities on Dalits as they are incapable of challenging the decision.
Another activist said that the police are not getting approval of the District Level Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes grievance cell before filing the reports. The activist said that the police are being bribed for filing B reports.
Mr. Sonawane said that it is easy for the police to file charge-sheets and difficult to get approval for B reports. After a detailed scrutiny by him, the file goes to Mr. Devajyoti Ray, who also looks at such files closely, before granting approval. There is no question of taking bribe for filing B reports, he said.
Moreover, Mr. Sonawane said, complainants get notice from courts after B reports are submitted. “If discrepancies are found (in B reports), courts pass strictures against the investigation officer,” he said.
When activist S.P. Anand pointed to continued harassment of a complainant by an accused in an atrocity case registered in Venur Police Station in 2019, Mr. Sonawane directed the jurisdictional police officer to book another case against the accused and seek cancellation of bail.