Defamation case: Pune court seeks Rahul Gandhi’s response to plea for US video sharing platform to provide original link of speech
Pune: A special MP/MLA court in Pune on Friday directed Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer to file a written response by Dec 11 on a plea seeking its directions to a US-based social media and video sharing platform and an Indian newspaper to furnish the original video link and a news report of the Congress MP’s speech in London in March 2023. The plea was filed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar, in an ongoing defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s alleged defamatory remarks against the Hindutva ideologue. The plea mentions that the video link was published on March 5, 2023, on Gandhi’s official channel hosted by the video sharing platform. Similarly, a related news report was published by the Indian newspaper, it stated. The case is at the stage of the complainant (Satyaki) leading his evidence as part of examination in chief before the court. The complainant had earlier submitted a CD along with a 65B (verification) certificate under the Indian Evidence Act. However, it could not be played in court because of some unknown/technical reasons. His plea to play another CD was rejected by the court after Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, raised objections on the grounds that it was not accompanied by a 65B certificate. On Friday, Satyaki’s lawyer, Sangram Kolhatkar, filed the plea regarding directions to the US video sharing platform and the newspaper stating, among other things, “The complainant submits that unless the original source is summoned, the accused (Rahul Gandhi) will secure an unfair advantage arising out of the loss of evidence, which was fully in the custody of the court, thereby gravely prejudicing the complainant and defeating the administration of justice.” The plea stated that the court needs to direct the video sharing platform to submit the video evidence along with details like the “upload date and time; URL and unique video ID; hash value/digital signature; server logs relevant to authenticity and integrity, any copies, backups, or archived version of the said video”. In a related development, Judicial Magistrate First Class Amol Shinde, presiding over the special court, allowed an application by Satyaki’s lawyer seeking an adjournment for a limited period. The adjournment sought was to enable the complainant make proper technical arrangements and reconstruction so that a CD of the speech, which could not be played earlier in court because of some unknown reasons, can be played and recorded correctly. “Also, to secure time to trace another CD from the record or be substituted so that the same can be relied upon in chief examination,” the plea stated. Pawar told TOI, “We have recorded our strong objection to the adjournment sought by the complainant today (Friday) as we feel the same was yet another delaying tactic by the complainant. We will file our written response, as sought by the court, on the other plea regarding directions to the US video sharing platform and the newspaper.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/limesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Traffic diversion near Noida’ Dalit Prerna Sthal for Ambedkar’s death anniversary
Noida: The traffic police have issued an advisory for traffic diversion near Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal on Saturday, on the death anniversary of DR BR Ambedkar. Pravin Ranjan Singh, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said that on Dec 6, the movement of goods carriers – light, medium, and heavy – will be banned on Noida Expressway. These vehicles will be diverted to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. In case the traffic pressure increases on Noida Expressway, the Noida/Greater Noida – Delhi traffic will be diverted to Kalindi Kunj and also the sector’s internal road – Sector 37, Sector 18, Sector 16, and then Chilla Border. Delhi-bound traffic at the Bird Feeding Point would be diverted towards Sector 18. Vehicles coming from Noida Elevated Road for Dalit Prerna Sthal will also be diverted to the left near Car Market in Sector 28. Commuters can take a U-turn and drive below the metro line on Captain Vijayant Thapar Marg, then reach Sector 15 and Chilla Border, said an official. However, vehicles involved in emergency services like ambulances and fire tenders will be allowed during the restricted hours. Lakhmi Singh, BSP Gautam Budh Nagar President, said that BSP’s national convenor Akash Anand is likely to attend the programme in Noida, while BSP chief Mayawati will attend a programme in Lucknow on the day. “Thousands of people from Noida, Greater Noida, Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Meerut, etc., are expected to visit Noida’s Dalit Prerna Sthal on that day. It is good that the traffic police are making an elaborate arrangement,” he said A day ago, Mayawati, in an X post, urged people in western UP to gather at Dalit Prerna Sthal to pay respect to Baba Saheb, while party workers and their followers across UP were asked to reach Lucknow’s Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal to offer their floral tributes. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/limesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Hatred against Love in Annihilate Caste
The murder of Saksham Tete, a Dalit, described as ‘jaibhim wallah’ by the family of his girl friend Anchal Mamidwar in Nanded should not surprise any one as the bitter and brutal fact is that we are a highly caste conscious society and any one venturing beyond his or her caste line must be prepared for the repercussion that Saksham faced. So, there is not one single caste or region or identity to be blamed for it. Fact of the matter is we all are proud of our ‘castes’ and any one cross the ‘redline’ actually become unwanted and unaccepted. Baba Saheb Ambedkar had spoken about annihilation of caste but that would mean annihilation of the primitive brahmanical values where ‘jaatis’ have become the sole ‘identity’ and there is no other way to appreciate a person’s achievements except when he or she belong to your jaatis. Every jaati i.e. caste, has an inherent supremacist attitude towards other and that is why Dr Ambedkar explained it as ‘graded inequality’. He does not stop with mere this term. It is important to move further and understand the psychology of the caste supermacism. Dr Ambedkar says, it is asecnding order of reverence and discending order of contempt. Saksham Tete was a Buddhist youth who fell in love with Anchal Mamidwar. In Maharashtra, a Buddhist in Dalit community is predominantly Mahar while Anchal belonged to an SBC or simply special backward Community. The particular jaati of Anchal, it seems was from Padmashali community, whose occupation actually is weaving. According to Anchal, her family was against Saksham because he was ‘jaibhimwallah’. She also said that Saksham was ready to ‘convert’ to ‘Hinduism’. The worst part of this story is that Saksham and Anchal’s relations were well known in the family and they pretended to have accepted their relationship but that was a strategy of the family to get closer to him and one final day they murdered Saksham. The things did not end there, Anchal showed her defiance and married to the corpse of Saksham, put a ‘sindoor’ and demanded that per parents and brothers be hanged to death. Anchal’s act are a defiance but definitely in the height of emotion who has lost her love. Her life is bigger and she must ensure that Saksham get justice but it is also for the elders to ensure that she is empowered economically and get a chance to live her life as per her choice. She has left her parental family now and staying at Saksham’s house and that would be a challenge. Many young girls have done that but the socio cultural economic crisis they face is tremendous. It is a fact that self arranged marriages or so called inter caste or inter religious marriages are not accepted by the Indian society. Whatever the self proclaimed progressive suggests but the bitter fact is inter faith couples face problems not only with the outside acceptence but also among themsleves due to cultural clashes. In the last two decade, Indian middle classes have grown into believing the ‘power’ of ‘traditional values’ and greatness of their caste resulting in unuacceptability of person outside their domain of jaatis. The so called inter caste, inter religious marriages are impossible now. It will only be posssible if we become a society of individuals where none is bothered about who you marry, what you eat and where you dine but that thing is now difficult. Your food habits, your sexuality and jaatis are important aspect today being flaunted everywhere. The gap is increasing. Friendship grows when you learn to appreciate others but we are fast becoming homesick and caste supermacist with strong love and hatred against other. In such cases, our minds dont work rationally and totally function as per the prejudices injected into our minds since childhood. Our political process today has shown that there is no unity among people in terms of their identities and each one of us want to keep a separate identity to make personal gains. So whether the community get something or not, in the name of it, some will gain and they will continue to speak up against individuals who cross the red line. That is the reason why very few speak against such violence. Political parties have rarely spoken against it as it threaten their identity politics. They will only use it when such incidents actually help them in their political games. Unfortunately, not every incident become political to be raised by the political parties. Also important is that annihilation of caste as envisaged by Baba Saheb Ambedkar has been rejected by majority of the Dalit Bahujan communities part of the brahmanical system. The unity among these communities merely politics of their space and nothing beyond. This fact must be kept in minds that communities are not interested to speak about any reforms. They want their share in power and elsewhere. Except that, there is no interest in reforms or looking from with in. The anti caste violence or patriarchical impositon is not just work of the brahmins or Savaranas but OBC community too come out as biggest gate keepers of brahmanical patriarchy. The cases of violence against Dalits from Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar etc is concern that political unity is possible but jaatis dont want to cross their ‘identity’ line which they consider as ‘sacrocant’ and any crossing of that line is a challenge to caste patriarchy. What should individuals do. Well, young boys and girls should understand very well that the administrative or political set up can not protect them if they cross their line. Sadly, it is a dark reality in our part of the world. They become isolated. The individuals too depend on community and therefore think well before entering into any alliance. You must be prepared to leave your community and migrate to cities. You dont know who will turn out to be your dushman, enemy. It will increase as long as there will glorification of
Dalit Youth Assaulted, Forced to Strip at Gunpoint in Jhansi; Attackers Filmed Abuse
A Dalit youth in Jhansi was assaulted by a group of men who lured him away on the pretext of offering him a cigarette. The men beat him with slippers, fists, kicks and sticks, pointed a pistol at him and forced him to strip. They also made him touch one of their friend’s feet and recorded the entire assault on video. The incident took place on November 22 in a village under the Premnagar police station. The video surfaced today. Police have now registered a case and arrested three of the accused. The victim said he was standing near Goswami Restaurant in Rajgarh when Nishant Saxena, Sukrit and Kanishk approached him. “They told me to come with them for a cigarette. All four of us went on one scooter,” he said. But instead of taking him to a shop, they took him to Nishant Saxena’s house where two others, Bhanu Pal and Ravindra, were already present. “They all beat me with kicks, punches and sticks. Ravindra recorded the video. They also hurled caste abuses at me and threatened me,” he added. In the nearly five minute long video, the attackers can be heard repeatedly threatening and humiliating the youth. At one point Nishant asks him, “Do you remember what you said?” The victim tries to explain and holds his feet saying, “Brother, I admit my mistake.” The men push him onto a chair and threaten to take him to the police station. The youth folds his hands and pleads, “I don’t want to go anywhere. Please brother, let me go.” The assault becomes more violent. One of the accused slaps him hard and says, “Do you know who I am? I am the king of Rajgarh.” The victim holds his ears and apologizes. When he says he did not call anyone, the attacker picks up a slipper and hits him repeatedly. Nishant then points a pistol at him and orders him to take off his clothes. Terrified, the victim says, “Brother, I swear on your life, let me go.” He is then kicked in the chest, hit with sticks and forced to touch the attacker’s feet. “I swear on my daughter I will not make a mistake again,” the victim says with folded hands. CO Sadar Ramveer Singh said police registered a case under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with the SC ST Act after the video came to light. “We have arrested Sukrit, Anand Nayak and Kanishk Ahirwar. The main accused, Nishant Saxena, is absconding and efforts are on to arrest him. The reason behind the assault is still not clear,” he said. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/lheobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit Politics Heats Up in Bihar Assembly as RJD, Congress Shift Focus After Poll Defeat
RJD stirs controversy in House as Congress high command reviews Dalit outreach strategy. Patna: A heated exchange unfolded in the Bihar Assembly on Thursday during a discussion on the Governor’s address, after the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) diverted the debate toward Dalit issues. The move sparked loud protests from the ruling NDA, leading to sharp political confrontation inside the House.Patna real estate RJD MLA Kumar Sarvjeet triggered the flashpoint with two controversial remarks. He alleged that Dalit areas in Gaya district still lacked basic infrastructure. He also claimed that Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College Hospital resembled a Dalit colony because development had been ignored there. His remarks drew immediate objections from NDA leaders, who demanded he withdraw his statements. Speaker Prem Kumar intervened and cited available data on development projects at the medical college. The argument intensified when senior JD(U) leader and former minister Ratnesh Sada hit back, declaring that Dalits would “never forgive” Sarvjeet for how they were treated during the RJD regime. Grand Alliance Returns to Dalit Agenda The confrontation in the Assembly comes days after the Congress held a review meeting in Delhi over its poor performance in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. The party leadership reportedly resolved to shift its political strategy and focus on Dalits, Muslims, and Bhumihars instead of EBCs and OBCs.Bihar tourism guide The Congress has since appointed Rajesh Ram, a Dalit leader, as the party’s state president — the fourth Dalit to hold this post in Bihar. The party is considering increasing Dalit representation in key organizational roles at the state level. Why the Sudden Political Outreach to Dalits? Six Key Factors Data from the recent election highlights why RJD and Congress are aggressively attempting to rebuild trust among Dalit voters: Bihar Assembly has 40 reserved seats (38 SC, 2 ST) NDA won 35 of these seats; Grand Alliance secured only 5 NDA won 34 of 38 SC seats and 1 of 2 ST seats NDA grabbed 87% of reserved seats — double its 2020 performance NDA fielded 40 Dalit candidates and won 35 seats Grand Alliance fielded 40 Dalit candidates but won just 5 seats Dalit Vote Shift Toward NDA According to Pollsmap survey and Lokniti data, the Dalit vote consolidated behind the NDA in 2025. Nearly two-thirds of Dalit voters supported the alliance, a sharp contrast to 2020 when Dalit votes were fragmented. Among the Paswan/Dusadh community — a key Dalit bloc — 62 percent voted for the NDA. In 2020, when the LJP(R) contested separately, votes were split between alliances. Leadership Advantage for NDA Experts say NDA benefited from having two prominent Dalit leaders — LJP(R) chief Chirag Paswan and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi. Their presence gave the ruling coalition a decisive edge. A senior journalist notes that in closely fought contests, small vote shares matter significantly. “Chirag Paswan turned out to be a key factor. Last time, he damaged JD(U)’s prospects on nearly 30 seats. This time, he helped them win,” he said. The Grand Alliance, meanwhile, lacks a Dalit leader who can influence votes at this scale — a gap now pushing both RJD and Congress to aggressively reclaim lost ground. As Bihar politics pivots toward caste alignments once again, the Dalit vote has emerged as the most crucial battleground ahead of the next major political contest Courtesy : Patna Press Note: This news is originally published on https:/patnapress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Ghaziabad: 25-year-old transgender inmate found hanging in district jail
Ghaziabad, A 25-year-old transgender inmate allegedly died by suicide in Dasna district jail here, officials said on Thursday. The deceased — identified as Rahul alias Pari — was found hanging by a scarf in the bathroom of a cell, Jail Superintendent Sitaram Sharma said. A jail constable on duty spotted the inmate on Wednesday night and alerted the administration. Officials rushed to the spot, completed the legal formalities and sent the body for a postmortem examination, the official said. The autopsy will be conducted under the supervision of a panel of doctors and a magistrate, and the process will be videographed, he added. Rahul had been lodged in the jail in connection with a case registered under Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code at Nandgram police station in 2021. During investigation, the charge was converted to Section 307 (attempt to murder). Rahul was released on bail for a period before being rearrested by Nandgram police, and sent back to jail in 2025. The reason behind the extreme step is yet to be ascertained and under investigation, the officer said. PTI COR CDN ARB ARB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Courtesy : The Print Note: This news is originally published on https:/lheprint.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Yogi extends fin aid to Dalit family
Gorakhpur: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath underscored his commitment to supporting the distressed, as he reached out to a Dalit family on Wednesday. During his visit to Gorakhpur’s southern region, the CM met the family of Ram Nevas, a resident of Madariya under Gola tehsil, who passed away recently. The CM assured full support to the family, struggling financially after the death of its sole breadwinner. Before proceeding to pay tribute to Mahant Ramdas at Madariya Siddhapeeth, Yogi met the bereaved family at the helipad, offering both comfort and substantial relief. He handed over a cheque of Rs4,12,500 — the first instalment of the Rs8.25 lakh assistance sanctioned under the SC/ST Act. The CM also said that Ram Nevas’s wife will receive Rs30,000 under the National Family Benefit Scheme, along with a monthly pension of Rs1,000 under the Destitute Women Pension Scheme. He directed officials to extend the Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana benefits to the deceased’s youngest daughter. Since the family is landless, Yogi instructed officers to allot land under the state lease scheme and ensure their inclusion in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Orders were also issued for the construction of a toilet under Swachh Bharat Mission, issuance of an Antyodaya ration card, and coverage under Ayushman Bharat. The family members, overwhelmed by the CM’s gesture, expressed heartfelt gratitude. “Maharaj ji, you are our only support,” said the widow, folding her hands in emotion. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/limesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Bengaluru: Dalit youth dies of ‘third-degree’ torture in custody? Marks found on body, 4 suspended, including inspector
Four suspended, including Viveknagar police station inspector; mother alleges he was beaten in custody; CID to investigate. Bengaluru: The police department has taken major action in the case of a 22-year-old Dalit youth who died in police custody after being allegedly tortured and subsequently admitted to a drug rehabilitation center in Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru. An official announced on Wednesday that four policemen have been suspended due to allegations of negligence. What is the whole matter? The deceased has been identified as Darshan PG, a resident of Viveknagar, who died under suspicious circumstances on November 26th. Taking action on Tuesday, the department suspended an inspector, a constable, and two other officers attached to the Viveknagar police station with immediate effect. A senior police official confirmed that the entire matter is now being investigated by the CID. Mother Makes Serious Allegations The mother of the deceased, Darshan, has leveled serious allegations against the police. In her complaint, she stated that on November 12th, the police detained her son. She alleged that Darshan had gotten into a fight with neighbors and caused a commotion while under the influence of alcohol. Since Darshan was addicted to alcohol, his mother requested that he be sent to a rehabilitation home instead of jail. According to a police officer, on November 16th, at the mother’s request, Darshan was sent to a de-addiction center on the outskirts of Bengaluru instead of jail. The mother alleges that the police took 7,500 rupees from her and admitted Darshan directly to the center. Subsequently, whenever the mother attempted to meet or speak with her son, she was stopped. Center officials assured her that Darshan was perfectly fine. Injuries found on the body The situation changed when, on November 26th, the family was informed that Darshan had died due to respiratory problems. However, the family members say that there were clear signs of injury on the body. The mother suspects that her son was severely tortured while in police custody, which later led to his death at the rehabilitation center. Legal Action and Sections A senior police officer stated that a case has been registered at the Madannayakanahalli police station based on the mother’s complaint. Four police officers and the owner of the private de-addiction center have been charged under sections 103, 127, and 3 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as relevant sections of the SC/ST Act. At present, the investigation has been transferred to the CID. The CID team is now closely examining the entire sequence of events, from the arrest to the death at the de-addiction center. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Tamil Nadu: Was the murder of two Dalit youths due to a feud over an ‘intercaste marriage’? The National Commission for SC/ST visited the scene.
Families allege honor killing, demand CB-CID investigation; the Commission inspected the scene. Dharmapuri: The National Commission for SC/ST has begun its investigation into the deaths of two Scheduled Caste (SC) youths near Palacode in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district. On Wednesday, a team from the Commission visited the area to ascertain the facts surrounding the incident and met with the families of the victims. Families allege murder, demand CB-CID investigation. The Commission’s team included Director Dr. S. Ravi Verma and Senior Investigator S. Lister. Officials met with the families of the deceased youths to hear their side of the story. During the conversation, the grieving families made serious allegations, stating that this was not a normal road accident but a premeditated murder. The families claim that the youths were targeted because of their inter-caste relationships. They have also demanded that the CB-CID investigate the entire matter before the Commission members. Officials Inspect the Site After meeting with the families, the Commission team directly went to the accident site near Chikarthanahalli, where the bodies of the youths were found. The committee members thoroughly inspected the site. Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) R. Gayatri and senior Dharmapuri police officials were also present with the Commission during the investigation. What is the whole matter? The incident occurred last Wednesday. Two youths—N. Sunil Kumar (19) and R. Murugan (20), residents of Sonampatti village near Palacode, were traveling on a moped towards Palacode. Sunil worked in a private company, while Murugan was a third-year polytechnic student. According to the police report, their moped went out of control and fell into a culvert near Chikarthanahalli, killing both of them. Bodies Accepted After Three Days Following the incident, the families of the deceased refused to accept the bodies, alleging foul play. They even staged protests. However, after a three-day standoff and the completion of the post-mortem, they accepted the bodies from Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital. Police Investigation and Post-mortem Report Meanwhile, the police are maintaining their investigation. They say that both the evidence collected at the scene and the post-mortem report point to it being a ‘road accident.’ The investigation has determined the cause of death to be injuries sustained in the accident. Currently, all eyes are on the case following the Commission’s intervention. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
National SC/ST commission probes death of two Dalit youngsters near TN’s Palacode
The committee members also visited the accident spot near Chikarthanahalli and inspected the area. Revenue divisional officer R Gayathri and Dharmapuri police officials were also present. DHARMAPURI: The National Commission of SC/ST conducted an inquiry into the death of two SC youths near Palacode on Wednesday. The committee members, including the director Dr S Ravivarma and senior investigator S Lister, met the family of the deceased youth, who claimed they could have been killed due to their inter-caste relationships, and sought a CB-CID investigation into their death. The committee members also visited the accident spot near Chikarthanahalli and inspected the area. Revenue divisional officer R Gayathri and Dharmapuri police officials were also present. Last Wednesday, two youngsters, N Sunilkumar (19), an employee of a private company, and R Murugan (20), a third-year polytechnic student, both from Sonnampatti village near Palacode, died in a road accident near Chikarthanahalli. The duo was on their moped and was en route to Palacode when they stumbled, fell into a culvert and died. However, their families refused to accept the bodies and staged a protest alleging foul play. Subsequently, three days later, they collected the bodies from the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital following autopsy. With evidence collected from the accident scene and post-mortem reports attributing the cause of death to accident, police said, their investigation also pointed to the two youngsters dying from a road accident. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/lhenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights