Women activists urge CM to implement Ugrappa report, seek justice in Dharmasthala case

Bengaluru, Oct 21 (PTI) A delegation of prominent women's rights activists, writers, and social leaders submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to expedite the implementation of the Ugrappa Committee report and ensure justice for victims of sexual assault and murder in Dharmasthala case.

The demand comes at a time the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government is probing the alleged disappearance of women in the temple town of Dharmasthala.

The delegation, representing the "Who Are the Culprits?" movement launched in August, commended the government for its foresight in reviving and implementing the Ugrappa Committee's recommendations aimed at preventing violence against women.

A copy of the memorandum was shared with the media by the Chief Minister's Office on Tuesday.

The Ugrappa Committee report, officially known as the Karnataka State Police Reforms Committee Report, was prepared under the chairmanship of former MP V S Ugrappa.

The committee was constituted to examine complaints of custodial deaths, police brutality, and lapses in maintaining human rights standards within the Karnataka Police Department.

The report, submitted in 2019, highlighted serious irregularities in police functioning, including instances of illegal detention, custodial torture, and corruption.

It made several recommendations to ensure greater accountability, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law in police operations.

The delegation also lauded the formation of the SIT to probe long-standing allegations of atrocities and murders of women in the Dharmasthala region.

"The unconstitutional and unethical acts that had long obstructed justice for women are now being addressed through structural reform. The Ugrappa report's implementation is a step towards creating a sustained response to violence against women," the delegation said, adding that justice must be ensured for families who have been fighting for decades.

The activists demanded that the SIT function independently and without interference, reinvestigate closed cases including those of Soujanya, Padmalatha, and Yamuna/Narayana, and probe the suspicious deaths of witnesses such as Ravi Poojary, Gopalakrishna Gowda, Dinesh Gowda, Warij Acharya, and Harish Madivala.

They sought immediate action against officials found guilty of dereliction of duty in line with the Karnataka High Court's September 13, 2024 judgment in the Soujanya case.

Other key demands included setting up an independent Gender Justice Support Group, ensuring witness protection and victim rehabilitation, and initiating criminal action against those attempting to obstruct the investigation through political or social influence.

The memorandum also urged the government to strengthen women's safety measures across the state, establish Internal Committees under the POSH Act in all religious institutions, and expedite both Ugrappa and Justice Verma Committee reports as part of a long-term strategy.

The 40-member delegation included noted personalities such as Arundhati Nag, Akkai Padmashali, Kavitha Lankesh, Sabiha Bhoomigowda, D Suman Kittur, Padmavati Rao, and Roopa Hasan, among others. PTI GMS KH