Dalit youths allege illegal detention and custodial torture by cops in MP
Bhopal: Four Dalit youths accused police in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district of illegal detention and custodial torture. The youths alleged they were stripped, beaten for four days, and had chilli powder rubbed into their private parts to force a confession in a theft case. The victims, residents of the Kanjadpur Dharampura area, stated they were returning from a housewarming ceremony on July 15 when they stopped to urinate by the roadside. A Dial-100 police vehicle allegedly picked them up without explanation. One youth, who is disabled, was released, while the remaining four were taken to the police station, hung upside down, beaten with belts, and tortured. Police had previously claimed to have arrested five individuals for stealing transformer oil. The incident prompted protests by Bhim Army workers and the victims’ families, who marched to the SP office demanding action under the SC/ST Act and the suspension of the accused policemen. A sit-in was held outside the SP office, where authorities responded by locking the gates and cutting power to the premises. DIG Lalit Shakyawar later visited the site and assured that a medical examination would be conducted and action taken after investigation. Three of the victims have since undergone medical tests. “We have asked a senior officer to investigate the matter. CCTV footage from inside the police station is being examined,” said Chhatarpur SP Agam Jain. Families also alleged that one of the five detained youths is missing and feared he may have died in custody. A victim’s father-in-law further accused the police of threatening him with arrest and eviction from govt land if the protest continued. Former Congress MLA Neeraj Dixit also visited the protest site and demanded justice. A heavy police force from multiple stations was deployed. Investigations are currently underway. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
MP: Tractor stopped in Niwari, Dalit family pelted with stones and attacked with weapons, case registered against 6 people
A video of this entire incident has also surfaced, in which bike-riding miscreants can be clearly seen chasing the tractor. Bhopal. A heart-wrenching incident has come to light in Prithvipur area of Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh, where bike-riding miscreants chased a tractor in a filmy style and attacked the family riding on it. The incident is of Neemta village, where this incident, which took place in broad daylight on Saturday, has created a sensation in the entire area. According to eyewitnesses and video footage, the attackers were seen chasing the tractor on six bikes. As soon as the tractor reached near Neemta village, the attackers stopped it and started pelting stones at the people riding in it. After this, they were also attacked with sharp weapons. The people riding in the tractor kept trying to save their lives, but the attackers beat them badly. Many people have suffered serious injuries in this attack. What is the whole matter? Prithvipur police station in-charge Jitendra Gurjar said that this violent attack started on Friday, when a youth named Satyam Yadav was sitting at a liquor shop. During that time, he had a dispute with a youth named Akash Ahirwar. The matter escalated to abuse and then to a fight. After this, people of Yadav community allegedly beat up other members of the Ahirwar family as well. In the preliminary investigation, the police found that this attack is the result of an ongoing rivalry and a fresh dispute, which later turned violent. 20-year-old Akash Ahirwar was going towards Chowki Chaumo on Saturday in Kamlesh’s tractor along with his family members, Sanjay, Anil and Sheela Ahirwar. As soon as they reached near Neemta village, Satyam Yadav, Shivam Yadav, Raju Yadav and Chhotu Yadav, who were already waiting in ambush, blocked the tractor’s way with a bike. After this, Satyam Yadav picked up a stone and hit Akash on the head, due to which he was seriously injured. Chhotu Yadav attacked the woman Sheela Ahirwar with a bakiya (sharp weapon). Sandeep Yadav and Satendra Yadav attacked other family members in the trolley with stones. Sanjay and Anil Ahirwar have also been injured in this attack. Video of the incident surfaced A video of this entire incident has also surfaced, in which bike-riding miscreants can be clearly seen chasing the tractor. Sharp weapons tied to a bike are also visible in the video. People sitting in the trolley are frightened and trying to save themselves. On the basis of the video, the police have identified the attackers and further investigation is being done. According to the station in-charge, after confirmation of the video, a case will be registered against more accused as well. FIR against both sides On the complaint of complainant Akash Ahirwar, the police have registered a case against Satyam Yadav, Shivam Yadav, Raju Yadav, Chhotu Yadav, Sandeep Yadav and Satendra Yadav under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. On the complaint filed by the members of Yadav community, a case has been registered against Akash Ahirwar, Sanjay Ahirwar, Anil Ahirwar, Sheela Ahirwar and one other. Ankit Pachauri Courtesy: Hindi News
MP: Dalit farmer’s land occupied by miscreants in Rajgarh, victims have been pleading with the administration for three years!
Victims allege – The miscreants got their and their family’s caste certificates canceled on the basis of false documents, due to which they have been deprived of many government benefits like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ladli Behna Yojana and Foodgrain Scheme. Bhopal. A serious case of forceful occupation of the land of a Scheduled Caste farmer, illegal mining, caste insult and death threat has come to light in village Papdel of Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. Some influential people of the village not only occupied the land owned by the victim farmer Kalyan father Chandan Vanskar, but also beat him up when he protested and humiliated him by using casteist abuses. Regarding this matter, State President of Bamboo Shilpkar Yuva Shakti Sangathan Mukesh Bansal has submitted a detailed memorandum to Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Director General of Police (DGP) demanding strict action against the culprits. What is the matter? According to the information, the land of the victim Kalyan, survey number 1/3/3, area 2.000 hectares is registered in his name, which has been the means of livelihood for his family for years. On 7 June 2025, some people of the village, Radheshyam Lodha (Upper Sarpanch), Pawan Lodha, Basantibai, Gopal, Bhanwarlal and Mohan alias Pappu, got together and started illegal digging on this land by calling JCB machine. It is alleged that these people uprooted the trees and plants in the field and illegally mined the gravel sand/soil and took it away by tractors. When Kalyan and his family protested against this, they were badly beaten up and caste-related abusive words were used. The victim lodged a written complaint in Bhojpur police station, but no concrete action has been taken so far. Kalyan says that the accused Deputy Sarpanch Radheshyam Lodha is misusing his position and political influence to put pressure on the administration, due to which he is not getting justice. Caste certificates of victims cancelled! After the incident, another big crisis arose in front of the victim. He alleged that the miscreants got his and his family’s caste certificates cancelled on the basis of false documents, due to which they have been deprived of many government benefits like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ladli Behna Yojana and Foodgrain Scheme. They have been making rounds of Tehsil Office, SDM, Collector and Jan Sunwai for the last three years, but no solution has been found so far. Kalyan also told that the miscreants are now preventing him from going to his own land at gunpoint. His family is being harassed mentally, physically and socially. Regarding this entire matter, State President of Bamboo Shilpkar Yuva Shakti Sangathan, Mukesh Bansal has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and Director General of Police and put forth demands. He demanded that the encroachment from the land owned by the victim be removed immediately, strict action should be taken against the accused by registering a criminal case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, IPC sections 323, 506, 447, 379 and other provisions. The cancelled caste certificate should be reissued after impartial investigation. Also, security has been demanded for the victim and his family. Speaking to The Mooknayak, Mukesh Bansal said, “This is not just a case of land grabbing, but an organized effort to deprive a poor Scheduled Caste farmer of his identity, his rights and his self-respect. Evicting people like Kalyan Vanskar, whose livelihood and existence is completely dependent on their land, from their own land is a serious social injustice. And when he speaks up, he is silenced by using caste-specific abusive language, beating him and threatening him. All this is happening in front of the eyes of the police, and the lack of action till now shows the silence and bias of the system.” He further said, “I have handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister and DGP and have clearly said that if there is no immediate intervention in this matter, then this injustice will become an example for more poor Dalit families that no matter what you have, if you are a Dalit, no one will listen to you. We have also demanded that the victim’s caste certificate be restored immediately, so that he can get the benefits of the schemes. The government has to understand that justice should not be seen only on paper, but in ground reality.” Ankit Pachauri Courtesy : Hindi News
Cong may announce district prez appointments by month-end
Bhopal: The AICC is likely to clear the list of district presidents for the state by the end of the month. Sources in the state Congress office said the final discussions were between PCC chief Jitu Patwari, AICC general secretary for Madhya Pradesh affairs Harish Chaudhary and national party organisational general secretary KC Venugopal. “Reports submitted by the central observers and state observers are being matched to select the final names for 60 organisational district presidents for Madhya Pradesh,” a source said. Meanwhile, Patwari, LOP Umang Singhar and a few more senior functionaries from the state have visited New Delhi to speak to central leaders on their choice of district presidents. However, the AICC officially asked state leaders not to come to Delhi. Instead, they have been asked to send letters if they have suggestions. So far, district president appointments were influenced by recommendations of senior leaders. But on June 3, Lok Sabha LOP Rahul Gandhi launched the CWC-approved Sangathan Srajan Abhiyan, the restructuring of the Congress party organization in the state. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to undergo the remodeling of the party after the pilot project has been completed in Gujarat. At the CWC meeting in Ahmedabad in April, the Congress’ highest decision-making body decided to restructure the organization and match up with the BJP’s organizational strength. It was decided to start with Gujarat as the model state. After Rahul Gandhi’s visit, it was decided that the first phase of organizational restructuring would start with the appointment of Congress district presidents. AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh affairs Harish Chaudhary had claimed that appointment of district president would be completed by June 20. However, a month has passed since the deadline and the party is still discussing names of candidates and matching the ground reports prepared by AICC observers and state Congress observers who went to the districts and spoke to party workers. Speaking to TOI, state Congress media cell chief and former minister Mukesh Nayak denied the district president appointments have been delayed. “We are not running late. The AICC sent central observers to the districts and thereafter, the state observers also visited the grassroots to ask party workers to name suitable district presidents,” Nayak explained. “The reports of the AICC observers and the state observers are being matched. The meetings are in the final stages, and we can expect the list of district presidents to be released by the AICC soon,” he said. Party spokesman Abbas Hafeez argued, “Madhya Pradesh is a big state. And there are districts with two organizational presidents’ posts – one for rural and the other for urban areas like Bhopal city Congress president and Bhopal rural district president. The democratic process takes time. And unlike the BJP, the Congress will not announce district presidents one by one. The high command will announce the names soon.” Ruling BJP took a dig. State BJP media department chief Ashish Agarwal took to X and said, “Congress district president appointment is not about capabilities but depends on a quota system. If a person fits the ‘quota’, only then will he get the district president’s chair. Democracy be doomed, here only the leaders’ recommendation prevails.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Neha’ was Abdul all along: Bangladeshi arrested after 28 years in India
Widely known as ‘Neha Kinnar’ in the locality where he was staying, Abdul Kalam entered India at the age of 10 and went on to spend nearly 20 years in Mumbai before moving to Bhopal. He maintained the identity of a transgender woman for at least eight years in Bhopal to avoid detection by local authorities.Amritanshi Joshi After at least eight years of living under the guise of a transgender woman—and nearly three decades in total of residing in India undetected—Bhopal Police have arrested a Bangladeshi man, Abdul Kalam, who was living under the alias Neha. During an ongoing crackdown on illegal migrants, Bhopal police officials discovered that Abdul had carefully constructed a false identity as an Indian citizen, having forged documents including an Aadhaar card, voter ID, and even a passport. Police further found that Abdul had made multiple visits to Bangladesh during his nearly thirty-year stay using the forged passport. Abdul was arrested in the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday, following a coordinated, intelligence-led operation. Widely known as “Neha Kinnar” in the locality where he was staying, Abdul entered India at the age of 10 and went on to spend nearly 20 years in Mumbai before moving to Bhopal, sources close to the investigation told India Today TV. They further revealed that he maintained the identity of a transgender woman for at least eight years in Bhopal to avoid detection by local authorities. The accused had lived in various houses within Bhopal’s Budhwara locality. Residents recognised him solely by this identity. Authorities have confirmed that Abdul also travelled to and from Bangladesh using his counterfeit Indian passport, raising significant concerns about the integrity of national documentation systems and border security. Police have seized multiple falsified documents from his possession, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the extent of the document fraud and whether he was assisted by a broader network. The Intelligence Bureau and the Anti-Terrorism Squad have joined the investigation, given the serious national security implications of the case. Cybercrime specialists are analysing Abdul’s seized mobile phone, mining call logs, messaging history, and data connections to uncover potential co-conspirators or a deeper syndicate facilitating such identity fraud. “We received credible information through a confidential informant, which led to his identification and subsequent arrest. He has been residing in Bhopal for nearly a decade, but prior to that, he lived in Maharashtra. During this time, he had also returned to Bangladesh, which he managed to do using forged Indian credentials. The investigation is ongoing, and we are closely coordinating with central agencies,” said senior police official Shalini Dixit. She added that the matter is extremely serious, which is why the details of the operation have been kept completely confidential. Interrogation of the individual posing as a transgender woman is currently underway. Meanwhile, police are now preparing to conduct a gender verification test to determine whether Neha is biologically transgender or had been disguising himself as one to conceal his identity. Abdul has been placed under 30-day detention while the authorities initiate formal deportation procedures. Police are also probing whether his transgender identity was genuine or adopted purely as a means of deception. Investigators are examining whether any members of the local transgender community knowingly or unknowingly assisted him. A separate team from the Crime Branch is questioning his known associates. Officials have restricted access to Abdul, allowing only the station in-charge and two designated female officers to interact with him. The Centre has also been notified of the arrest, and multiple intelligence wings are actively involved in reviewing the data and evaluating the potential breach. He is currently in police custody at the Talaiya Police Station, where he is being interrogated under high security. Edited By: Sayan Ganguly Courtesy : India Today Note: This news is originally published on https:/indiatoday.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Transgender Bangladeshi national lived in India for decade, traced in Bhopal
Acting on specific intelligence inputs from a specialised unit tracking foreign nationals residing illegally in the state, Abdul Kalam alias Neha Kinnar was recently traced to the Mangalwara locality in old Bhopal. BHOPAL: A transgender Bangladeshi national, Abdul Kalam, had been living in Bhopal for the past ten years under the assumed identity of Neha Kinnar. Surprisingly, during this time, the Bangladeshi national had even managed to get valid identity documents to legitimise herself as an Indian citizen. Acting on specific intelligence inputs from a specialised unit tracking foreign nationals residing illegally in the state, Abdul Kalam alias Neha Kinnar was recently traced to the Mangalwara locality in old Bhopal. The Mangalwara and Budhwara areas of old Bhopal are home to a significant transgender population, and Abdul Kalam, living under the identity of Neha Kinnar, had also taken up residence there. “The third gender individual was recently traced and has since then been questioned by a dedicated team of cops. Initial questioning has revealed that Abdul Kalam, who is aged around 30-32 years presently, entered India illegally, while aged 17 years and since then has lived in various parts of the country, including West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra and MP. Abdul Kalam has been residing under the assumed identity of Neha Kinnar in Bhopal since the last ten years,” a senior Bhopal police official told TNIE. Abdul Kalam managed to get the new identity of Neha Kinnar by getting various identity proof documents to give legal sanctity to the false identity. However, it remains unclear whether these documents were procured in Madhya Pradesh or elsewhere to legalsie seld as an Indian citizen. According to sources the individual was also involved in a case of physical assault with another transgender around five years back and the final court hearing in the matter is slated shortly. According to Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra, the dedicated verification campaign is currently underway to trace foreign nationals who are living illegally in the MP capital. As per sources, the process of Abdul Kalam aka Neha Kinnar deportation to Bangladesh is likely to start over the next few days, once the entire probe about the 10 year long illegal stay in Bhopal is over. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Painful death of pregnant tribal woman in Rewa, MP: Flood water came on the bridge, could not reach hospital
The family said – life could have been saved if treatment was received on time, administration ordered investigation Bhopal. A pregnant woman lost her life due to careless system and bad roads in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh. The woman could not reach the hospital on time because flood water had come on the bridge built on the river. She kept suffering for two hours and then died there. The incident is of Bhatigwan village of Jawa tehsil, where this tragic accident happened late on Sunday night. After the last rites on Monday, the family demanded justice from the administration. There was no road in the in-laws’ house, so the woman came to live in her maternal home 26-year-old Priya Rani Kol, a resident of Bhatigwan village, has her in-laws in Barhat village. Due to lack of road in Barhat, she came to her maternal home when she was pregnant, so that she could get timely treatment at the time of delivery. Her health suddenly deteriorated on Sunday night. When the family was taking her to the nearest Jawa hospital, flood water came on the bridge of Mahna river on the way. Priya kept suffering for two hours on the banks of the river. The woman and her family could not cross the bridge. Everyone was stranded on one side of the river. During this time, the family called a doctor from the village. By the time the doctor arrived, the woman’s condition had become critical. The doctor declared her dead after examination. The family reached Barhat with Priya’s body, but the road was closed due to floods. In such a situation, the body was brought to the village after taking a 40-km long detour and then the last rites were performed. Life could have been saved if treatment was received Priya’s sister-in-law Shanti Kol said, “If treatment was received on time, Rani could have been saved. This bridge is so low that every time it rains, water flows over it. But the administration never paid attention to it.” Priya’s father-in-law said that the daughter-in-law was sent to her maternal home because there was no road in the in-laws’ house. It was easy to go to the hospital from there, but the flood blocked the way there too. Pregnant women of Sidhi also opened a front Amidst this incident in Rewa, eight pregnant women of Khaddi Khurd village in Sidhi district have opened a front against bad roads. These women are being led by Bagheli social media influencer Leela Sahu, who is also pregnant. She says that the condition of the roads worsens in the rain, making it risky to reach the hospital. Collector ordered an inquiry Rewa Collector Pratibha Pal has ordered an inquiry considering the seriousness of the matter. She said that the administration will find out why the woman could not get timely medical facility and what steps can be taken to prevent such accidents in future. Ankit Pachauri Courtesy : Hindi News
Serious allegations of corruption on Jal Jeevan Mission in MP, claim of 1 thousand crore bribe against tribal PHE minister!
The serious allegations leveled by the former MLA have brought the Jal Jeevan Mission under question. Bhopal. Allegations of a big scam in the name of Jal Jeevan Mission have surfaced in Madhya Pradesh. Former MLA Kishore Samarite has written a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) claiming that there has been a huge irregularity of about Rs 30 thousand crore in this scheme. The special thing is that the order to investigate this scam was issued by Sanjay Andhavan, Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) of Public Health Engineering Department (PHE), in which direct allegations were made against the departmental minister Sampatiya Uikey himself. Controversy arose from the complaint sent to the PMO The whole matter started on April 12, when former MLA Kishore Samarite sent a complaint to the PMO about the corruption taking place in the Jal Jeevan Mission. According to the complaint, huge bribes were being taken in the tender process and the minister himself was involved in it. After this, on 24 April, this complaint was sent to the state government, and under the departmental process, on 21 June, this file reached Engineer-in-Chief Sanjay Andhavan. Minister’s name in the investigation order, instructions for property investigation The names of Minister Sampatiya Uike, Mandla’s Executive Engineer Manoj Bhaskar and former ENC BK Sonagariya were included in the investigation order issued on 21 June. It was clearly written in the order that, investigate the funding of Jal Jeevan Mission, the role of the minister, the property of the executive engineer and submit the report in seven days. The responsibility of investigation was handed over to the Project Director and Area Chief Engineer of Jal Nigam. However, this order went viral on social media on Monday, causing a stir. Big allegation of former MLA Former MLA Samrite has written in the letter that, a commission of Rs 1 thousand crore was taken by Minister Sampatiya Uike. This amount was collected through Mandla’s Executive Engineer Manoj Bhaskar and former ENC BK Sonagaria collected Rs 2000 crore through his accountant Mahendra Khare. Bribes of Rs 1000 crore each were also taken in PIU and Jal Nigam. He has demanded a CBI inquiry from the central government and alleged that an engineer in Betul withdrew Rs 150 crore without doing any work. Similar fake payments were made in Chhindwara and Balaghat. CE Mechanical passed tenders worth Rs 2200 crore and grabbed the amount without doing any work. After the investigation order went viral on social media, ENC Sanjay Andhavan clarified that the complaint was investigated, but no concrete documents were found in it. Referring to the report of the Chief Engineer of Balaghat, he said, “The complaint is factless and fabricated. There was no original document in the complaint, only departmental letters obtained through RTI were made the basis.” He also said that the implementation and payment of Jal Jeevan Mission is done at the local level, so the ENC and the minister are not directly responsible. Now the questions Will there be a high-level inquiry against the minister and officials? Was the departmental order withdrawn or suppressed? What stand will the government take on the authenticity of the viral order on social media? The serious allegations leveled by the former MLA have brought the Jal Jeevan Mission under question. If the investigation is fair and transparent, it can reveal layers of corruption in the administrative structure of Madhya Pradesh. What is Jal Jeevan Mission? Jal Jeevan Mission is an ambitious scheme of the Central Government, which aims to provide drinking water through pipes to every household in the country. Crores of rupees are allocated to the states under this scheme. Courtesy : Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News
MP: Accused sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a 10-year-old girl, court orders to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to victim
The court has ordered the state government to pay Rs 3 lakh as compensation to the girl, keeping in mind her education and rehabilitation, so that she can move forward on her future path. Bhopal. The court of Special Judge Kumudini Patel of the capital Bhopal on Monday convicted the accused Mohammad Farhan alias Chuju in the case of raping a minor and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 4,000. Special Public Prosecutors Divya Shukla and Jyoti Kujur pleaded on behalf of the government in this case. What is the whole matter? On June 8, 2019, a 10-year-old girl lodged an FIR in Gandhi Nagar police station with the help of Child Help Care Taker. The girl told that she was living at her female relative’s house. Since they did not have children, the family had sent her to them for upbringing. The girl considered that woman and her husband as her parents. When the woman went to work, her husband Mohammad Farhan used to do obscene acts with the girl, show her dirty videos and rape her. He used to beat her up when she refused. Tolerating all this, the girl finally told her ordeal to an old lady, after which the matter reached the police. The girl said in the court – “I want to become a doctor” During the hearing of the case, the victim told the court that she is currently living in SOS Balgram and is studying in 10th standard. Her real mother has passed away and she dreams of becoming a doctor in future. The girl’s words made the court emotional. The victim will get compensation of three lakh rupees The court has ordered the state government to give her a compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh keeping in mind the education and rehabilitation of the girl so that she can move forward on the path of her future. Provision of punishment Under Section 376AB of the POCSO Act, if the age of the victim is less than 12 years, then the accused is given a minimum sentence of 20 years, life imprisonment or death penalty. NCRB figures The 2022 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) also shows the gravity of the situation. According to the report, a total of 20,415 crimes against children were registered in Madhya Pradesh in the year 2022, which is the second highest figure after Maharashtra in the country. Of these, 6,654 cases have been registered only under the POCSO Act. The highest number of cases are related to kidnapping and luring, which stood at 10,125. 109 cases of murder of children and 90 cases of abetment to suicide are also part of this report. The NCRB report also revealed that the rate of crime against children in the state is 71 per one lakh children, which is much higher than the national average. After Delhi, Madhya Pradesh is in second place in this case. The most worrying thing is that in 96.8% of sexual crimes, the accused are acquaintances of the victim. This makes it clear that the most unsafe place for the victims is their own social circle. Courtesy: Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News
Impact of the news: Case of discrimination against Dalit woman and girl in Pratibha Sthali Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, State Scheduled Caste Commission sought report
The Commission took cognizance after the news of ‘The Mooknayak’, sought report in 15 days. Bhopal. The case of caste discrimination against a single mother and her daughter of Scheduled Caste category in Pratibha Sthali Gyanodya Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh has forced the Madhya Pradesh State Scheduled Caste Commission to take strict action. Taking cognizance of this serious matter, the Commission has sought an investigation report from the Assistant Commissioner, Tribal Affairs Department, Jabalpur within 15 days. It has also been directed that if the Right to Education Act 2009 or Article 21 (A) of the Constitution has been violated by the school, then necessary legal action should be taken against the culprits. This matter came to light when last year ‘The Mooknayak’ published a detailed report on this subject. The report said that Sunita Arya, a Scheduled Caste community resident of Jabalpur, had applied to Pratibha Sthali Vidyalaya to get her daughter admitted in Class 4. But the school administration not only refused to admit her, but also treated her in an insulting manner using casteist words. She was discriminated against only because she is a Dalit and her daughter was born in a live-in relationship and is biologically Jain (general). Sunita Arya alleges that the school administration looked at her negatively on the basis of her caste identity and used words like ‘Ahirwar’, ‘Chamar’ during the conversation. Apart from this, the school administration also raised the question about the family status of the girl, as Sunita Arya is a single mother. Sunita had also attached a DNA test report with her application, which proves that the girl is the biological child of her and her partner Manish Jain and there should be no doubt about any kind of identity. Despite this, the school did not admit the girl. Talking to The Muknayak representative, Sunita Arya says that she had applied for admission of her daughter in class 4 in Pratibha Sthali Vidyalaya, Jabalpur. But the school administration rejected her application saying that the family status of the girl is not clear. Sunita says that she even got a DNA report, which proves that the girl is the child of her and Manish Jain, who belongs to the Jain community. Still she was insulted on the basis of caste. The school people called her by derogatory words like ‘Ahirwar’ and ‘Chamar’. Sunita alleges that the school administration treated her in a discriminatory manner and mentally harassed her. She also told that casteist language was also used in the conversation on WhatsApp by the school management, copies of which she has submitted to the Scheduled Caste Commission. Sunita says that being a mother, she wanted her daughter to study in a good school, but she was treated unfairly due to caste and daughter being born during living. Allegation of mental harassment, evidence submitted to the commission Sunita has claimed in the application submitted to the commission that she was mentally harassed and treated in a discriminatory manner by the school management. She has also submitted screenshots of WhatsApp conversations with the school and other documents to the commission, which mention caste-based behavior and insensitive comments made by the school. Apart from this, Sunita Arya has also rejected the preliminary investigation report of this case and in the counter-claim sent to the commission, she has said that facts have been hidden in the investigation and conclusions have been drawn in a fabricated manner. Commission’s strictness: Looking at the seriousness of the matter, the commission has clarified in this case that if the reply is not received within the stipulated time limit (15 days), then it will take suo motu cognizance and take action using the powers conferred on it like a civil court. Secretary of the State Scheduled Caste Commission, Seema Soni, said that the commission is looking into the matter as a violation of the fundamental rights of the Constitution and if the faults are proved, action can be taken against the school management under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. What is the legal provision? Right to Education Act, 2009 Gives the right to free and compulsory education to all children between 6 and 14 years. Article 21 (A) of the Indian Constitution Provides the fundamental right to primary education to every child. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 Provides strict punishment for discriminating or insulting any Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe person on the basis of caste. Courtesy: Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News