Villagers skip meeting to resolve anganwadi boycott over dalit cook

Nuagaon residents refuse to attend meet; only 2 villagers, sarpanch, ward member turn up. KENDRAPARA: The Kendrapara administration’s efforts to convince villagers of Nuagaon under Rajnagar block to end the boycott of the local anganwadi over appointment of a dalit cook failed to yield any result on Wednesday. Acting on the directions of collector Raghuram R Iyer, sub-collector Arun Nayak, Rajnagar tehsildar Jisukrishna Das, district welfare officer (DWO) Arabinda Ray and other officials visited Nuagaon under Ghadiamala panchayat to resolve the issue. However, villagers reportedly refused to attend the meeting. “Only the ward member, sarpanch and two villagers were present, making the chances of a breakthrough slim,” said child development project officer of Rajnagar Dipali Mishra. “Villagers did not attend the meeting as they do not consume food cooked by dalits. No one wants to break this age-old custom. If the administration forces our children and women to eat such food, it may lead to unrest. The administration should appoint a cook from the upper caste to resolve the issue,” said a villager on condition of anonymity. Sources said most villagers preferred to remain silent on the issue. Several educated residents and members of the dalit community are also reluctant to speak. Villagers maintained that nothing unusual has occurred, despite children and women staying away from the anganwadi centre for nearly three months. The riverside village of Nuagaon has around 45 families, including seven dalit households. Ghadimala sarpanch Sailendra Mishra said, “We urged the village leaders to send children to the anganwadi centre, but they ignored our appeals.” He added that pregnant women have also stopped visiting the centre, depriving themselves of services such as supplementary nutrition, health check-ups, iron-folic acid supplements, immunisation and health education. Contacted, collector Iyer said, “The sub-collector has been directed to submit a report after visiting the village. Necessary action will be taken once the report is received.” President of the district unit of Dalit Samaj Nagen Jena alleged that the actions of the villagers violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21. “Dalits often face discrimination in temples, but here children and women are being kept away from welfare services. We expect the police and administration to take firm steps,” he said. The anganwadi centre at Nuagaon has reportedly not been functioning since 23-year-old Sarmista Sethi was appointed as a helper-cum-cook at the facility on November 24 last year. Soon after her appointment, the village committee allegedly decided to boycott the centre in protest and stopped sending their kids to the facility as Sethi belongs to the dalit community. Even pregnant and lactating women have refused to visit the centre since then. Ashis Senapati Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Transgender Equality: Court Decision on Transgender Rights in India

This report was published by the Centre for Law & Policy Research, Bengaluru, in December 2024. It presents an overview of the legal landscape of transgender rights in India by presenting case summaries of important judgments and their impact. In 2014, the Supreme Court of India in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India (NALSA) ruled that transgender people have the right to self-determine their gender identity. This was protected under the constitutional guarantee of life, liberty and equality, and the freedom of expression given under Articles 21, 14, and 19 of the Indian Constitution. Following NALSA and the implementation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, multiple cases have been presented to courts on issues of everyday challenges and rights violations. The purpose of this report is to provide access to such important judgements to multiple stakeholders advocating for and promoting transgender rights in India. This includes community members, activists, civil society groups, students and researchers, public officials and government, and other lawyers and judges. This 59-page document is divided into 3 sections: Introduction to the Legal Framework (Section 1); Key Definitions (Section 2); and Case Briefs on Transgender Rights (Section 3). Judgement summaries are further structured into 7 sub-sections: The Right to Self-Determination of Gender Identity; Right to Equal Opportunity in Public Employment; Legal Recognition of Change in Name & Gender; Right to Marriage; Family & Relationships; Criminal Law and Transgender Persons; Access to Education for Transgender Persons; and the Right to Social Security. The jurisprudence of transgender rights is largely based on NALSA in 2014, and other court judgments have extended the reach of fundamental rights as laid down in this case. This was followed by the enactment of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020. In NALSA, the Supreme Court expanded “sex” in Article 15(1) to include both gender and gender identity and prohibited discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation. The Court affirmed that every individual has a constitutional right to determine their gender identity as per Articles 14 and 15(1), and broadened the interpretation of Articles 19(1)(a) and 21 to include a person’s right to express their gender. Under Section 7 of the Transgender Persons Act, 2019, gender recognition is a two-step process: a trans person needs to apply for recognition as ‘transgender’, followed by medical documents that request a change of gender identity. As it mandates a two-step process, failing to acknowledge the Supreme Court’s NALSA ruling, this provision faced strong criticism from the transgender community and activists. The right to privacy was deemed to be constitutionally protected as per the Supreme Court in Retd. Justice K S Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017). This was further extended in Navtej Johar v. Union of India (2016), where same-sex relations were decriminalised and Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was held unconstitutional. In Mulla Faizal v. State of Gujarat (1999), the High Court of Gujarat distinguished between intersex and transgender persons and imposed a duty on authorities to facilitate the correction of name and gender in birth certificates. The case of Arunkumar & Others v. The Inspector General of Registration (2019) recognised that transgender individuals have the right to marry based on their self-identified gender, linking this right to Article 21 of the Constitution. However, the Supreme Court later, in Supriyo v. Union of India (2023), ruled that the right to marry is not a fundamental right for transgender persons, though it clarified that transgender people in heterosexual marriages must be acknowledged under current laws. Due to the binary understanding of gender within Indian penal laws, transgender individuals frequently face denial of legal protection. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, identifies specific offences and criminalises various forms of abuse – including physical, emotional, and sexual violence. Courts have ruled that laws addressing sexual violence and harassment must be applied inclusively and should not exclude transgender persons from their protection. In Ms. X v. State of Uttarakhand (2019), the court recognised the right to self-identify gender based on an individual’s inner identity or ‘psyche,’ even within criminal law. The judgment also affirmed that offences such as rape apply to transwomen. To address existing legal gaps, the Madras High Court in M. Srinivasan v. State upheld the right to self-identification and confirmed that sexual harassment laws extend to all individuals who identify as women. Section 3 of the Transgender Persons Act, 2019, prohibits discrimination against transgender individuals in educational settings, while Section 13 mandates that state-funded or recognised institutions provide inclusive education. However, despite the Supreme Court’s directive in NALSA to classify transgender persons as socially and educationally backward and grant them reservations, such provisions remain largely unimplemented. The Supreme Court in NALSA also instructed the central and state governments to develop social welfare programs aimed at improving the lives of transgender people. Under Section 8 of the Transgender Persons Act, 2019, the government is required to implement these welfare initiatives and ensure transgender persons can access them. Although some states have set up Transgender Welfare Boards, access to welfare schemes has been limited. Many states lack such programs entirely, and the inclusion of transgender individuals in pension schemes for vulnerable groups has often only been achieved through judicial intervention. Focus and Factoids by Prathima Appaji. PARI Library’s health archive project is part of an initiative supported by the Azim Premji University to develop a free-access repository of health-related reports relevant to rural India. Courtesy : PARI (People’s Archive of Rural India) Note: This news is originally published on https:/peoplesarchiveofruralindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Gadchiroli: How did the dream of ‘justice at the doorstep’ for tribals become entangled in files? The system woke up after the Supreme Court’s strictness.

After the Supreme Court’s reprimand, the appointment was made in 7 days; the Aheri court remained empty for months without a judge, leaving hundreds of prisoners distressed. New Delhi/Gadchiroli: A vivid example of how the Aheri court, which was established with the vision of providing justice to tribals in the remote areas of Maoist-affected Gadchiroli, is being hampered by delays in the appointment of judges and administrative lethargy, was recently seen in the Supreme Court. The case involves Surendra Gadling, a co-accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case. On January 21, when his lawyer informed the Supreme Court that the trial in a case related to arson charges from 2016 had not yet begun due to the irregular attendance of the judge and the permanent public prosecutor in the court, it raised many questions about the system. What is the whole matter? Surendra Gadling is accused of conspiring to burn 76 vehicles carrying iron ore from the Surjagarh mines on December 25, 2016. His lawyer argued in court that his discharge petition had been pending in the single-judge District and Additional Sessions Court in Aheri since 2022. The reason was that there was neither a judge nor a permanent prosecutor there at the time. Following this information, the Supreme Court issued strict instructions to the Registrar General of the Bombay High Court, directing them to ensure “the regular posting of a competent judge within seven days.” This strictness of the Supreme Court had an immediate effect, and after the hearing, the vacant post was filled. A judge was appointed there just two days later. The seat remained vacant for 22 days in January. Although officials claim that the process for appointing a judge was already underway and that it takes time given the sensitivity of the post, the reality is that the court remained without a judge for 22 days, from the 1st to the 22nd of January. Court records indicate that this was not the first time the Aheri Court had been vacant while awaiting a judge. Work stalled for three months in 2025 The Aheri Court, which was inaugurated in July 2023 by then Supreme Court Justice Bhushan R. Gavai with the promise of providing “close-to-home justice” to 725 villages in Maoist-affected and tribal-dominated talukas, remained in a disturbing state in 2025. According to records, the court remained without a judge for nearly three months in 2025. During this period, trials, bail hearings, and regular judicial work effectively came to a standstill. When a judge finally assumed charge on July 22, 2025, he found that over 200 undertrial cases were pending. This is mentioned in a court order dated October 6, 2025, which stated, “Upon assuming charge on July 22, 2025, it was found that over 200 cases and several bail applications were pending, which were disposed of on a priority basis.” Lawyers and Prisoners Faced Increased Difficulties During the three-month vacancy, trial proceedings could not proceed. Accused persons were not brought from jail for hearings. Lawyers were forced to travel more than 120 kilometers to Gadchiroli, where a judge was given additional charge of the Aheri Court. The situation became so dire that undertrial prisoners wrote letters from jail to the Gadchiroli Court and the Bombay High Court, requesting the transfer of their cases, as proceedings had come to a complete halt. Accused yearn for bail The judge’s absence had the worst impact on those in jail. During this period, the in-charge court could only hear urgent bail applications or petitions for extensions for filing charge sheets. In one case, an accused arrested in 2020 sought bail, alleging that despite charges being framed in 2023 on the Supreme Court’s directive, no witnesses had been examined until July 2025. In another case, an accused remained in jail for over a year simply because he could not provide a surety of ₹30,000. He was released only after the appointment of a judge in August 2025. The Bar Association also raised its voice Aheri Bar Association President Rajendra Prasad Menganwar told the Indian Express that the primary purpose of establishing a court in Aheri was to prevent litigants and lawyers from having to travel up to 200 kilometers for hearings. He said, “In 2025, when no appointments were made for three months, we had to go to the Gadchiroli Court for important hearings. We then met with the administrative officials of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court and requested that the vacancy be filled, which, thankfully, was done immediately.” Delay due to sensitive cases? Court officials attributed the delay to the court’s handling of many important cases related to the UAPA and alleged Maoist activities. Therefore, judicial appointments require very careful scrutiny and consideration, which is a major reason for the delay. A Long Journey to Justice The establishment of the Aheri Court was the result of a demand dating back to 2008 to ensure that litigants, accused, and victims would not have to travel long distances through poor roads and irregular transportation in Maoist-affected forest areas. They often had to stay overnight for hearings. With this in mind, a Magistrate Court was inaugurated in 2015, and a Sessions Court in July 2023. At the inauguration, Justice Gavai stated that this court would help provide justice to 725 villages in the Aheri, Mulchera, Sironcha, Bhamragad, and Etapalli talukas. He said, “Justice has come to the doorsteps of the tribals of Gadchiroli.” It remains to be seen whether, after the Supreme Court’s intervention, this system will continue to function smoothly in the future. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Jharkhand: 10 children from the Birhor community who went to a feast in Koderma have been missing since February 1st. Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), causing panic in the village.

Innocent children aged 6 to 12 years old, who went to a feast in Parsabad, have not returned home. Police responded to a report from the head of the Berogai Panchayat, and the Superintendent of Police issued strict instructions. Koderma: A very worrying incident has emerged in Jharkhand’s Koderma district, where 10 children have mysteriously disappeared from the Gadiyai Birhor hamlet, which falls under the Jaynagar police station area. These children are reported to be between 6 and 12 years old. They have been missing since February 1st. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the police administration registered an FIR on Friday and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to search for the children. It is worth noting that the Birhors are a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group’ (PVTG) and one of the most vulnerable populations in Jharkhand. Around 50 families reside in the Gadiyai Birhor hamlet. The children had gone to attend a feast. According to information received from officials, the incident occurred on February 1st. The children had gone with their family to attend a feast (daawat) held in Parsabad, about 3 kilometers from their settlement. After the event ended, the elders returned home, but the children did not return. Initially, the families thought the children might have stayed with a relative or were playing nearby. However, as days passed and no trace of the children was found, an atmosphere of fear spread throughout the settlement. The Panchayat Chief’s Initiative Awakens the Administration After a few days of missing the children, the distraught parents contacted Rajendra Prasad Yadav, the head of the Berogai Panchayat, and narrated their ordeal. Upon learning of the incident, the chief immediately alerted the local Block Development Office (BDO) and the police. However, on Friday itself, the distressed parents officially lodged a complaint at the police station, requesting the safe return of their children. Upon receiving the information, a police team visited the settlement on Friday and assessed the situation. Missing Children Identified Police have obtained the names and details of nine of the 10 missing children, as follows: Rajesh Birhor’s two children: 7-year-old Nisha Kumari and 5-year-old Ramesh Kumar. Kela Birhor’s 8-year-old daughter, Sajani Birhor. Dhanku Birhor’s four children: Birju, Mithun, Shivani, and Kalpana. Suresh Birhor’s 8-year-old daughter, Rekha Birhor. Budhan Birhor’s 6-year-old daughter, Anisha Birhor. Police Action and Response Koderma SP Anudeep Singh stated that a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to track the children. DSP Rati Bhan Singh said, “Several teams have been formed on the SP’s instructions. We have begun the investigation and will recover the children soon.” Kedarnath Yadav, a local district council member, demanded immediate and aggressive action. He said that recent incidents of missing children across Jharkhand have increased the sense of “fear” and insecurity among the people, so the administration must act swiftly. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Rajasthan: 13-year-old tribal girl brutally assaulted; case filed under POCSO and SC/ST Act, but no arrests even after three days

Three days after the incident, the accused have not been arrested. Jodhpur – A serious case has been registered at the Karvad police station in Jodhpur, alleging assault, molestation, and caste-related insults against a minor tribal girl. The incident reportedly occurred on February 5th at around 6:30 pm in Kelava Kala village. The victim’s mother filed a written complaint at the police station on February 6th at around 5 pm. According to the complaint, she received information that her daughter had been severely beaten and seriously injured by the accused, Sunil Godara, and his mother. Upon arriving at the scene, she found her daughter lying unconscious and covered in blood, with deep injuries to her face, ears, and nose. The victim stated that Sunil used caste-related slurs like “lowly, bastard, Bhil woman,” pulled her hair, pulled her down, climbed on top of her, and attempted to molest her. He even tore her clothes. Upon hearing the screams, Sunil’s mother came and the two men assaulted her, threatening to kill her and harm her family if she told anyone. The police registered a case based on the complaint. Sections 115(2) (assault/voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (offences intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), 3(5) (general section) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS), 2023, sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(va), 3(1)(w)(i) (caste-related insults, intimidation, molestation, etc.) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (amended 2015), and sections 7 and 8 (relating to child sexual abuse) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 (amended) have been invoked. The investigation of the case has been assigned to ACP Anil Kumar Sharma, Mandore, Jodhpur. Three days after the incident, the accused have not been arrested. Advocate Bhatraj Jogson has alleged that the accused enjoy political protection, which is delaying action. There is widespread anger among the Bahujan community on social media, where people are demanding strict action and justice. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
False case against Dalit using forged documents? Will SC/ST Act apply? Kerala High Court’s major ruling

The High Court said, “When it is prima facie established that the suit filed… is false, malicious, or vexatious, particularly by using a forged plaint document, when the defendants are members of the Scheduled Castes and the plaintiffs are not members of the Scheduled Castes, the offence under Section 3(1)(q) of the SC and ST (POA) Act will prima facie be attracted.” Kochi—The Kerala High Court has held in a significant ruling that filing a false, malicious, or vexatious suit against a member of the Scheduled Castes (SC) using forged documents constitutes an offence under Section 3(1)(q) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. A single bench of Justice A. Badruddin, on February 3, in the CRL.A. The decision was delivered in Court No. 2214 of 2025, in which the appellant, Velayudhan, a 68-year-old Dalit man, challenged an order of the Special SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Court in Thrissur. According to the case, Velayudhan filed a case at the Irinjalakuda police station. The allegation was that HIGHWAY KURIES PVT LTD and its Managing Director, Subhash, had filed a lawsuit, presenting a forged promissory note. This note was purportedly signed by Velayudhan and his father, but both denied it in written statements. The accused party withdrew the case after the complaint was filed. The complaint alleged offenses under sections 465, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 3(1)(p) and 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST Act. During the investigation, the Deputy Superintendent of Police filed a report on October 22, 2024, stating that the Koori company was unaware of the complainant’s caste, and therefore, the charges under the SC/ST Act should be dropped. On August 26, 2025, the Special Court dismissed the application in CRL.MP No. 1160/2024, which sought monitoring of the investigation. The court stated that the investigating officer’s report showed that the accused was unaware of the caste and had no criminal intent. The High Court, after hearing the appeal, ruled that the deemed acceptance of the investigating officer’s report by the Special Court was incorrect. The court said, “When it is prima facie established that the suit filed… is false, malicious or vexatious, particularly by using a forged plaint document, when the defendants therein are members of the Scheduled Castes and the plaintiffs are not members of the Scheduled Castes, the offence under Section 3(1)(q) of the SC and ST (POA) Act would prima facie be attracted.” The court cited Section 8(c) of the SC/ST Act, which came into effect from January 26, 2016. It states that if the accused has personal knowledge of the victim or his family, the court shall presume that the accused was aware of the caste of the victim, unless the contrary is proved. The court observed, “When a Kuri company engaged in the business of chitty (VC), after acquiring knowledge of the subscriber, deals with the subscriber for its Kuri transaction, and then files a case to recover the amount due under the Kuri transaction on the basis of an allegedly forged promissory note, the Kuri company cannot be considered to be a person who was unaware of the caste identity of the defendant in the case, especially when the knowledge of the accused’s caste identity is a matter of conjecture unless the contrary is proved by evidence.” The court upheld the offence under Section 3(1)(q) but did not comment separately on Section 3(1)(p). Partially allowing the appeal, the court partially set aside the special court’s order. The request for monitoring of the investigation was rejected, but directed that the investigating officer obtain the promissory note from the court and have the signatures examined by a forensic laboratory. The final report should be filed in the special court after obtaining expert opinion. This decision is significant in cases of false prosecution and forged documents under the SC/ST Act, as it strengthens the statutory presumption regarding caste information and emphasizes the need for thorough investigation. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit cardinal elected head of Indian bishops’ body

Cardinal Anthony Poola — India’s first Dalit cardinal — was elected Saturday as the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, a body uniting the country’s three main rites. The Feb. 7 appointment highlights the significant role that Dalits — who occupy the lowest rung in India’s traditional caste hierarchy — play within the Catholic Church in India. But while almost two-thirds of India’s Catholics are believed to be Dalits, they are under-represented in the priesthood and episcopate. Indian Catholics hailed Poola’s appointment as a historic step following centuries of discrimination against Dalits within the Church. Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak, president of the CBCI’s Commission for Castes and Other Disadvantaged Groups, told AsiaNews: “The president is elected by secret ballot, according to long-established statutes. By choosing Cardinal Poola for his merits, the bishops have sent a clear and prophetic message to those who still carry with them the logic of castes (both as perpetrators and victims): Dalits and tribal people can be leaders in the Church at all levels.” Poola, the 64-year-old Latin Catholic Archbishop of Hyderabad, was chosen to succeed the Syro-Malabar Archbishop Andrews Thazhath at a Feb. 4-10 CBCI meeting in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Thazhath had led the assembly of bishops since 2022. Poola, the first Dalit to serve as CBCI president, takes up the role at a time of rising fear among India’s Christians, following a series of attacks before Christmas. A CBCI press release said: “With his election as president of the CBCI, Cardinal Poola Anthony assumes leadership of the Catholic Church in India at a crucial moment, bringing with him decades of pastoral experience, administrative leadership, and a strong commitment to the Church’s mission in service of faith, justice, and human dignity.” The CBCI issued a document in 2016 calling for “Dalit empowerment” in the Church. The text acknowledged that “practices of untouchability do exist in the Church” and set out policies to eliminate discrimination. The document estimated that around 12 million of India’s 19 million Catholics were Dalits. It said that Dalits only accounted for 1,130 out of the country’s 27,000 priests (4.2%) and 4,500 out of 100,000 religious (4.5%). The first Dalit Catholic bishop, Bishop John Mulagada, was appointed in 1977. In 2016, only 12 of India’s 180 bishops were Dalits (6.6%). In March 2025, India’s Supreme Court agreed to examine a petition alleging bias against Dalit Catholics in a parish in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The petitioners, from a parish in the village of Kottapalayam, in the Latin Rite Diocese of Kumbakonam, said they had experienced discrimination within the Church from members of the upper caste. The CBCI, established in 1944 and based in New Delhi, brings together India’s Latin Rite, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara bishops to take common action on issues affecting the wider Catholic Church in India. The CBCI’s presidency informally rotates between India’s three sui iuris Churches, and other senior roles are carefully balanced. Also elected Feb. 7 were the Syro-Malankara Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos as the CBCI’s first vice-president and Syro-Malabar Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt as second vice-president. Archbishop Anil Couto, the Latin Catholic Archbishop of Delhi, was re-elected as the CBCI’s secretary general. Anthony Poola was born in Poluru, a village in India’s southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, on Nov. 15, 1961, to a Catholic father and a Hindu mother. He was ordained a priest of the Latin Rite Diocese of Cuddapah in 1992. From 2001 to 2003, he studied for a master’s degree in pastoral care and attended a theology course at Loyola University Chicago, while serving in the city’s St. Genevieve parish. In 2008, he was named Bishop of Kurnool, his birth diocese. In 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Hyderabad, the capital of the south-central Indian state of Telangana. The Hyderabad archdiocese serves around 117,000 Catholics, out of a total population of almost 15 million. In 2022, Poola became the first Dalit to be appointed to the College of Cardinals. He was also the first cardinal to be a native speaker of Telugu, a language spoken by almost 100 million people, mainly based in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, the Latin Catholic Bishop of Daltonganj, told UCA News Feb. 8 that Poola’s election as CBCI president would “send a strong message to Christians of Dalit origin that the Church upholds the dignity of everyone.” Luke Coppen Courtesy : The Pillar Note: This news is originally published on https:/thepillar.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit girl molested in Rae Bareli: While returning from school after taking an exam, bees raised an alarm.

The emboldenment of miscreants is steadily increasing in Rae Bareli district, where Mission Shakti appears to be failing. The entire incident took place in the Unchahar sugarcane region of Rae Bareli district. A student from a village in the sugarcane region was returning home from school after taking an exam when she was molested by miscreants. Following the investigation, police have launched an investigation. The student, a resident of a village in the area, stated that she is a Class 11 student at a school in Babuganj. On Monday, while returning home on her bicycle after taking the annual exam, two young men from the village stopped her on the way and molested her. When the girl’s father arrived at the scene, the men fled. The girl stated that the young men had behaved in this manner on several occasions. The bees raised the issue with her father. Police Inspector Ajay Kumar Rai stated that the matter will be investigated and action will be taken against the conspiracy. Mahatab Ahmed | Dinshah Gaura (Rae Bareli), Rae Bareli Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit Boy’s House Torched After Inter-Caste Marriage In Mancherial

The accused allegedly poured kerosene on Surender’s house and set it ablaze on Saturday. No one was present inside the house at the time of the incident: Police ADILABAD: The Mancherial police have registered cases and arrested three persons after a bridegroom’s house was set on fire following an inter-caste marriage in Dampur village of Bheemaram mandal in Mancherial district. According to police, the incident occurred after a woman from a BC community married Surender, a Dalit youth. The accused were identified as the woman’s father Cheruku Laxman and her brothers Anji and Sampath.Police said the accused allegedly poured kerosene on Surender’s house and set it ablaze on Saturday. No one was present inside the house at the time of the incident. Based on a complaint lodged by Surender’s parents, cases were registered against the three under relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and other provisions of law. All three were arrested, police said. Officials said further investigation into the incident is under way. Pillalamarri Srinivas Courtesy : Deccan Chronicle Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanchronicle.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Telangana: Dalit man’s house set on fire after inter-caste marriage; three arrested

The incident occurred in Dampur village, Bheemaram Mandal, Mancherial district. The three accused include the woman’s father Cheruku Laxman, her brothers Sampath and Anji. Mancherial Police arrested three people and registered a case against them after a Dalit boy’s house was set on fire for inter-caste marriage in Dampur village, Bheemaram Mandal, Mancherial district, Tv9 Telugu reported. Police said that the incident occurred after a woman from BC community married Surender, a young man from Dalit community. The three accused include the woman’s father Cheruku Laxman, her brothers Sampath and Anji. Surender, Anjali intended to get married despite objections from family: Anjali, Surender were in a relationship and intended to get married despite objections fro her family. The couple asked for help from the police, who conducted a counselling session for her family. They told her family that they were both consenting adults and cannot be prevented from getting married. The couple got married later and the family believed that she brought ‘dishonour’ to their reputation. Anjali’s brothers, and her father attacked Surender and poured Kerosene on his house and set it on fire on Saturday. No one was at home during the time of the incident, reports said. Family booked under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act: A case was registered based on the complaint lodged by Surender’s parents and the accused have been booked under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, police said. Pavitra Bhashyam Courtesy : News Nine Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsnine.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights