Exclusive law not needed for caste related crimes, existing laws are adequate: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said that the existing laws are adequate to deal with caste related crimes in the state.

Stalin also announced a few measures to crackdown on crimes perpetrated in the aftermath of inter-caste marriages in the state.

Replying to a special calling attention motion moved in the State Assembly in connection with the attack on the CPI-M office in Tirunelveli following an inter-caste marriage recently, Stalin clarified on the attack incident in chronology and said that as many as 14 persons, including seven women have been arrested so far in connection with the attack on the CPI-M office in Tirunelveli and seven men have been remanded to judicial custody in additional to invoking the Protecting of Civil Rights Act after learning that there was prime facie ground for PCR violations.

Remarking that social justice was the life breath of the DMK and it has been supporting women’s education, equality and marriages defying caste since the early days of the party, Stalin referred to the suggestion of the MLAs seeking an exclusive act to crackdown on honour killings and caste related crimes and said, “Instead of enacting an exclusive legislation as was mentioned by the MLAs, this government considers that it would be right to initiate stringent and hasty action in accordance with the existing laws, mainly PCR Act, Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure and bring the criminals to the books.” Listing out the various infamous caste related crimes that took place in the previous AIADMK regime and that were successfully cracked in the incumbent regime, including the Gokulraj murder case in Namakkal, the Chief Minister said, “Like I said earlier, in such cases (related to caste) this government considers it appropriate to try the cases under the existing laws and secure punishment for the guilty.”

Special public prosecutors to try inter-caste marriage related crimes

Reasoning that the government was working with the target of ushering in social change through women empowerment initiatives and thereby reducing the need for new laws, the CM announced a few measures to immediately expedite the crackdown on caste related crimes.

The Chief Minister announced that special public prosecutors would be appointed to hastily try cases related to crimes committed in connection with inter-caste marriages.

Stalin also announced that appropriate action would be taken after legal consultation to appoint Deputy Superintendent of Police as investigation officers to intensify and hasten the investigation of such cases.

The CM also informed the House that the government would review the constitution and functioning of district-level committees set up to reduce such crimes.