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
Odisha: Anganwadi in Nuagaon Shuts After Villagers Refuse to Let Dalit Woman Cook for Children
Odisha Anganwadi Shuts as Villagers Bar Dalit Woman In rural Odisha, deep-rooted caste prejudice has forced the closure of an anganwadi centre in Nuagaon village, Rajnagar block, Kendrapara district, for nearly three months. Parents have reportedly stopped sending their children to the centre after a 23-year-old Dalit woman, Sarmista Sethi, was appointed as a helper-cum-cook on November 24, 2025. According to Sarmista, villagers from upper-caste families openly resisted her appointment, saying their children would not eat food prepared by a Dalit woman. The village committee, which also included instructions for Dalit households, reportedly told families not to send their children to the centre. “After my appointment, some upper-caste villagers warned me not to cook for the children. When I refused, they stopped sending their kids. Even women stopped coming to the centre,” Sarmista said. Around 45 families, including seven Dalit households, live in the riverside village. The social boycott has affected nearly 60 children who are now deprived of anganwadi services. Pregnant and lactating women have also stopped visiting the centre, missing out on crucial health benefits, according to Ghadiamala sarpanch Sailendra Mishra. “We have repeatedly urged villagers to send their children, but they have not listened,” he said. Anganwadi worker Lizarani Pandav informed the chief development project officer (CDPO) of Rajnagar block about the situation. CDPO Dipali Mishra said, “We have been trying to convince parents to send their children. The tehsildar and I held discussions with villagers, but the issue remains unresolved.” A team of Dalit leaders visited Nuagaon village on Tuesday, demanding legal action against those preventing children and women from attending the centre. Nagen Jena, district president of Dalit Samaj, cited the 2004 Supreme Court interim order in PUCL vs Government of India, which prioritises SC/ST candidates as cooks in midday meal schemes. Kendrapara district collector Raghuram R Iyer said he has directed the district social welfare officer to submit a detailed report. “After receiving the report, appropriate action will be taken against those who are illegally preventing children and women from attending the anganwadi centre. We are also trying to resolve the matter amicably through discussions with villagers,” he added. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Delay in alliance talks by DMK ‘saddening’: Cong
Chennai: Congress leaders mounted pressure on DMK to constitute a panel to hold seat sharing talks ‘immediately,’ stating the delay on the part of DMK in constituting the panel was ‘saddening.’ Congress leaders, who held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday in New Delhi, appeared to toughen their stand. They said the delay in seat-sharing talks could affect ground level preparations for the assembly elections. “It has been more than 70 days since AICC president formed a committee comprising five members and it is more than two months since the committee called on chief minister M K Stalin on Dec 3,” Girish Chodankar, head of the five-member committee told reporters after the meeting in New Delhi. “We are waiting with hope against hope that they will start the negotiation,” Chodankar said. Chodankar said the absence of a formal coordination mechanism was ‘saddening’ and it had caused concern among party cadres and leaders. “There is no negotiation committee yet, no coordination, and alliance talks have not started. Our cadres keep asking why there is no progress. It may appear as though we are delaying matters, but that is not the case. We have met the CM and followed it up repeatedly, but there has been no development,” he said. Chodankar said elections were approaching fast and parties needed sufficient time to prepare. “We are not blaming anyone. We are only stating the fact that we have been waiting for 70 days and do not know the reason for the delay,” he said. TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai echoed the concern, urging Stalin to constitute the panel immediately. “Our request to CM is to form the panel immediately. Last-minute seat allocation and election processes do not work well,” he said stating the delayed preparations in Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections did not yield results. He said the message would be conveyed to Stalin directly on Wednesday. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.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 youth brutally assaulted, loses in one eye
Bhadohi: A Dalit youth was brutally assaulted here and lost eyesight in one eye after an attacker allegedly pierced a motorcycle key when an argument over the former defecating near a canal escalated, police said on Monday.The injured youth, Rahul, in early 20’s, was referred in a critical condition from the district hospital to Varanasi on Sunday for advanced treatment. According to police, the incident took place on Friday afternoon when Rahul had gone to a canal in the Aurai area to defecate. This resulted in an argument between the victim and the accused, Shankar Bind, as the latter objected to Rahul defecating near the canal. The attacker allegedly abused Rahul using caste-based slurs and assaulted him. When Rahul tried to escape, the accused allegedly pierced a motorcycle key in his left eye and threatened to kill him, Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said, adding that the victim collapsed on the ground in severe pain. The accused fled the spot after locals gathered there. The SP said police reached the spot after receiving information and shifted the injured youth to a community health centre, from where he was later admitted to the district hospital. “As the injury to his left eye was severe, and he complained of loss of vision, doctors on Sunday referred him to the BHU Trauma Centre in Varanasi,” Manglik said. Courtesy : THI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehansindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul to meet TNCC leaders, district presidents in Delhi
Chennai: Chennai: The Congress high command has summoned senior Tamil Nadu Congress leaders and the newly appointed district presidents to New Delhi on Tuesday. TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai said the district presidents have been invited to Delhi for a training session. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to interact with the district presidents. Later, he would meet the senior leaders to take stock of the alliance dynamics in Tamil Nadu. “Rahul would be seeking the views of the senior leaders on alliance and seat sharing in TN,” a TNCC leader said. The meeting comes days after DMK MP Kanimozhi called on Rahul in Delhi in the wake of a section of the Congress functionaries batting for a power sharing arrangement. Senior TN Congress leaders had a similar meeting with Rahul in Delhi on Jan 18. Congress sources said the meeting is also expected to review the party’s preparedness for the 2026 assembly elections and assess district-level structures following the recent organisational changes. TNCC leaders said all 76 newly appointed district presidents are set to participate in the training programme, along with Selvaperunthagai, Congress legislative party leader S Rajeshkumar, and AICC in-charge for TN Girish Chodankar. Rahul will be joined by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram. “This is the first training session. The second session will be held after the assembly election,” TNCC spokesperson A Gopanna told TOI. The district presidents were appointed on merit, after doing away with the `quota system,’ where each TNCC leaders was allotted a certain number of postings for them to fill up with their supporters. “ Their functioning will be directly monitored by the AICC,” Gopanna said. As part of the training, the district presidents would also be briefed on the poll strategy to be adopted. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
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
Dalit youth brutally assaulted, loses eyesight in one eye in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi
The injured youth, Rahul, in early 20’s, was referred in a critical condition from the district hospital to Varanasi on Sunday for advanced treatment. Bhadohi (UP): A Dalit youth was brutally assaulted here and lost eyesight in one eye after an attacker allegedly pierced a motorcycle key when an argument over the former defecating near a canal escalated, police said on Monday. The injured youth, Rahul, in early 20’s, was referred in a critical condition from the district hospital to Varanasi on Sunday for advanced treatment. According to police, the incident took place on Friday afternoon when Rahul had gone to a canal in the Aurai area to defecate When Rahul tried to escape, the accused allegedly pierced a motorcycle key in his left eye and threatened to kill him, Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said, adding that the victim collapsed on the ground in severe pain. The accused fled the spot after locals gathered there. The SP said police reached the spot after receiving information and shifted the injured youth to a community health centre, from where he was later admitted to the district hospital. “As the injury to his left eye was severe, and he complained of loss of vision, doctors on Sunday referred him to the BHU Trauma Centre in Varanasi,” Manglik said. He said a case has been registered on the complaint of the victim’s father, Ram Dhani, against the accused Shankar Bind under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Necessary legal action against the accused is being taken, and further investigation is under way, the SP added Courtesy : DH Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanherald.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Meerut News: Transgender woman’s house vandalized, threats made
Mawana. A transgender woman residing in Ikram Nagar has filed a complaint at the police station, alleging that Rahul, a resident of Agwanpur village, came to her house on Saturday night, banged on the door, hurled abuses, and threatened to kill her. Neighbors apprehended the accused and handed him over to the police. Shalu, the transgender woman from Ikram Nagar, stated in her complaint that on the night of February 7th, at 11:30 PM, the accused, Rahul, a resident of Agwanpur village, came to her house and started banging on the door and hurling abuses. When she did not open the door, he threatened to kill her. Hearing the commotion, neighbors caught the accused and handed him over to the police. Shalu has expressed fear for her life from the accused and demanded action. CO Pankaj Lavania said that a report has been registered against the accused based on the complaint, and further action is being taken. Courtesy: Hindi News