Mangalore: Sowjanya case - Organizations join hands to demand CBI probe
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SS)
Mangalore, Oct 9: The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) organized a protest against the mystery surrounding Sowjanya murder case even after a year.
The sit-in protest was held in front of the DC office here on Wednesday, October 9.
The protestors mainly demanded CBI probe into the case. Various activists, women rights’ groups, leaders of various organizations from the district took part in the protest.
Addressing the state chief minister Siddaramaiah, the protestors demanded that the case be transferred from CoD and to CBI. "The police officers who destroyed evidence must be dismissed and a strict amendment should be made by the Supreme Court in rape laws," they said.
The also urged that the media be forbidden to exaggerate rape cases. "There must be strict action on the makers of blue films, the number of fast track courts must be increased, family as well as society should take every responsibility to give security to women. In Dakshina Kannada district, the unnatural deaths of women must be properly scrutinized and rape cases must be solved within 3 months and verdicts must be delivered within 6 months," they said.
All India Democratic Women's Association president, Hemalata said, “The government keeps changing; earlier it was BJP government and now it is Congress but under any government the security of the women has always been neglected.”
Dakshina Kannada district committee member, Kiran Prabha; Dakshina Kannada district committee secretary, Dayananda; DYFI president, Munir Katipala; SFI president, Nitin Kuthar; Dakshina Kannada district committee member Razak, and other members of Forum on Crimes Against Women were present for the protest.
Sowjanya was found raped and murdered on October 10, 2012 at Pangala near Dharmasthala in Beltangady. Her body was found among the bushes in a forest area. The CoD had begun a probe following public pressure, but no progress has been made so far. The state government had stated that it would order a fresh probe by CID.