Cabinet decision to withdraw 52 criminal cases based on subcommittee recommendation: K'taka Minister

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday defended the cabinets decision to withdraw criminal cases registered against various organisations, saying the move was based on the recommendations of a cabinet sub-committee that reviewed each case in detail.The Cabinet on Thursday decided to withdraw 52 criminal cases registered in various police stations across the state from prosecution.Pro-Kannada organisations and farmers organisations had been giving representations on cases against them for several years now.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday defended the cabinet's decision to withdraw criminal cases registered against various organisations, saying the move was based on the recommendations of a cabinet sub-committee that reviewed each case in detail.

The Cabinet on Thursday decided to withdraw 52 criminal cases registered in various police stations across the state from prosecution.

''Pro-Kannada organisations and farmers' organisations had been giving representations on cases against them for several years now. The government referred it to a cabinet sub-committee, after discussing each case individually, the sub-committee felt these cases could be legally withdrawn,'' Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said 52 cases against various organisations across the state were placed before the cabinet yesterday, and it was decided to withdraw them.

According to official sources, the withdrawn cases were filed against pro-Kannada organisations, farmers and their organisations, Dalit activists, among others.

The cases include 10 against Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj and seven related to the communal violence at Ladle Mushtaq Dargah in Aland of Kalaburagi district in 2022.

Asked about the grounds on which the cases linked to the Ladle Mushtaq Dargah related violence were withdrawn, the Minister said, ''I don't want to speak in detail. The cabinet has decided to withdraw the cases.''.

When pointed to the attack on police during that incident, he said, ''The decision was made after considering all those facts; it was not made all of a sudden.''