-PTI Pulling up the Maharashtra government for low conviction rate in atrocity cases against Dalits, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Tuesday asked the State to expedite trials and probe in such cases. “1,200 cases of atrocities against scheduled castes are reported each year in Maharashtra. Out of them, 500 cases are pending. There should be exclusive and fast-track courts under which priority should be to atrocity cases,” Commission’s Chairman Dr....

-Outlook Brussels: The European Union has expressed regret over the hanging of the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and asked India to put a moratorium on executions. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said it was with "regret" that she learned of the execution of Afzal Guru last Saturday. While recognising that "terrible Murders" were committed in the attack and aware of the sufferings of the victims and their families, the EU "reiterates...

-The Hindu Mr. Chidambaram has sought to blame the Army for the failure to repeal the draconian Act but the government is equally guilty as it has abdicated responsibility in the matter At an institute that is virtually owned, funded and run by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram did the unthinkable the other day. He virtually attacked the Army for refusing to review and amend the draconian...

-The Hindu The ground beneath Arundhati Roy’s seismic claims on the Parliament House attack, is shaky — to say the least “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions”, the American politician Daniel Patrick Moynihan — among others — is credited with having said, “but not to his own facts.” Muhammad Afzal Guru’s execution on Saturday morning — a grim spectacle, where the Indian government disgraced itself by denying his family a last meeting,...

-The Hindu Hyderabad: A high number of people from the SC or ST communities filing cases under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are forced to flee their homes for fear of pressure from the accused. An indication of the same is the frequent need of revalidating the relief cheques issued in favour of the complainants. This was revealed by Ranga Reddy district Collector A.Vani Prasad at a meeting of...