http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_khairlanji-verdict-dalit-leaders-ask-maha-govt-to-move-supreme-court_1409686
Khairlanji verdict: Dalit leaders ask Maha govt to move Supreme Court PTI Wednesday, July 14, 2010 16:30 IST Mumbai: Expressing dissatisfaction over the Bombay high court verdict in the Khairlanji killings, Dalit leaders of Maharashtra today asked the state government to appeal in the Supreme Court to seek death penalty for the convicts. The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court today commuted the death sentence of six convicts in the Khairlanji Dalit killings case to 25 years imprisonment. "The government should approach the Supreme Court against the verdict... I will speak to chief minister on this issue," dairy development minister Nitin Raut said. The court verdict is unfortunate and the government should appeal in the apex court, Raut, who is a prominent Dalit leader from Vidarbha region, said. Former minister Sulekha Kumbhare said she would speak to home minister RR Patil and ask him to approach the Supreme Court immediately to appeal against the HC ruling. "We don't accept the HC verdict. Injustice has been heaped on Dalit community. We demand death penalty for the accused," she said. Former MP Prakash Ambedkar said the state government needs to take the verdict seriously and appeal in the apex court to assuage feelings of the Dalits who have been hurt by the HC ruling.
