Increasing atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat, why is the administration indifferent?
Dalit activists say that earlier, in cases of atrocities on Dalits, at least ministers would come to meet the victims. Now even the tehsildar does not come. The judiciary is also openly showing bias. Idar (Gujarat) – Shaileshbhai Chenva, a 32-year-old Dalit daily wage labourer from Vadol village near Idar town in North Gujarat, now always ties a white handkerchief on his face when he steps out of the house. He walks with a limp and has deep blue and black marks on his body – signs of the horrific attack he has suffered. On March 11, Chenva went to work in a cold storage in Idar as usual. While returning after working all day, some Thakurs kidnapped him. He was brutally beaten, then paraded naked in front of the entire village – Nani Vadol. Not only this, he was forced to write an apology letter, in which he had to promise that he would never talk to a Thakur woman. He said, “The whole village saw me naked, as if I was an animal. No one came to save me.” Attack on riding a mare at wedding In 2022, Kishanbhai Senma of Vansol village in Mehsana district has still not forgotten his wedding day — but remembering that day does not make him happy, but he shivers. When he was riding a mare to his bride’s house for the wedding rituals, people from the Thakur community pulled him down from the mare and showered caste-related abuses on the entire family. The reason was only that Senma was a Dalit and was riding a mare. Senma said, “These people believe in Manusmriti and treat us like insects. But now we will not sit quiet.” At first, he decided not to escalate the matter, but a month later he filed a case against the Thakurs. He said, “When we went to register an FIR, the police said that the matter could be resolved even without investigation. Then we realized that we will have to go to court for our rights.” Sukhbhai (60), an elder from the village, says, “Our lives are going from bad to worse. Neither are we educated, nor are we considered a vote bank. The government does not care whether we are alive or dead.” Vikas model vs ground reality Gujarat may be presented as a ‘Vikas model’, but the figures tell a different story. According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha, the conviction rate in cases of atrocities on Scheduled Castes in Gujarat between 2018 and 2021 was only 3.065% — which is much lower than the national average. In 2022, 189 such cases were registered in Ahmedabad city alone, which is the highest in the state. 1,425 cases were reported across the state. Of the total 5,369 cases registered between 2018 and 2021, only 32 cases resulted in conviction. Whereas in 1,012 cases, the accused were acquitted, be it murder or rape. Attack in village ‘adopted’ by Amit Shah In January 2024, a minor dispute took the form of violence in Bileshwar village of Gandhinagar district, which has been ‘adopted’ by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Gitaben, a Dalit woman, was milking her cow when some teenagers from the Thakur community were playing nearby. Geetaben asked them to go away and play so that the cow does not get scared. Angered by this, the next day evening, about 200 Thakur men entered the Dalit settlement (Rohitvas Colony) in trucks and attacked the houses with stones, sticks and iron rods. Geetaben and her family suffered serious injuries. Gitaben said, “The police refused to register an FIR. It seemed as if they did not want to catch the accused.” Later, when Geetaben filed an FIR, the police allowed the Thakurs to file an FIR in retaliation. “This village has been adopted by Amit Shah, but has he forgotten us? The BJP MLA here is also from the Thakur community — Lachchanbhai Punjaji (Bakaji) Thakor — so he gets a free hand,” said Baldevbhai, a village elder. Atrocities on everyday pretexts Sombhai Chenva, a cotton farmer in Chitrodi village in Idar, is now scared of animals. People from the Rabari community deliberately let their cattle loose in his crop. When he objected to this six months ago, he was hurled caste-related abuses and his head was broken. In January 2019, Dahyaben Vankar (65) was attacked after her grandson defeated Thakur boys in a kite-flying competition. Her house was demolished. With the help of an NGO called Jan Vikas, she filed a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act. But six years later, the case is still pending in the Idar district court. The hearing scheduled for December 17, 2024, also could not take place due to the absence of the accused. Victims said that in most cases, the attackers are from the Thakur, Rabari and Suthar communities — all OBC groups. Petty issues are deliberately turned into disputes to trap Dalits in false cases. Political silence and government apathy Jignesh Mevani, MLA from Vadgam and convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, says, “The BJP follows the principles of Manusmriti — which talks about humiliating Shudras and Dalits. That is why no action is taken against those who commit atrocities.” Mevani launched the ‘Swabhimaan Helpline’ (9724344061) in 2023, which has so far received 113 calls and led to the arrest of 150 accused. “This shows that people have lost faith in the justice system,” he says. According to the 2011 census, the Scheduled Caste population in Gujarat is 40.74 lakh, or 6.74% of the state’s total population. In the last two decades, the government has not launched any major campaign to stop atrocities. According to the 2020 report of the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of crimes against Dalits in Gujarat was 1,313. In 2019, state social justice minister Ishwar Parmar told the assembly that such crimes had increased by 32% between 2013 and 2018. The state’s declining sensitivity “Earlier, at least ministers would visit the
Dalits’ rights on 927 acres of land! Hundreds arrested, hunger strike in jail… Anger erupted against Punjab government
Workers of the Jamin Prapti Sangharsh Committee went on hunger strike in jail demanding Dalit rights on 927 acres of land, hundreds arrested, serious allegations against the administration. Sangrur – The ongoing movement for land rights in Punjab took a new turn when more than 125 workers of the Jamin Prapti Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC), who were arrested during a demonstration in Sangrur on May 20, started an indefinite hunger strike in the jail premises. The protesters demand that 927 acres of land of Jind Riyasat be distributed among landless Dalit families and the proposed ‘Begumpura’ be settled on it. This demand arose after the death of Satbir Singh, the last ruler of Jind Riyasat, in August 2023. ZPSC says that this land is located in Beed Iswan village of Sangrur district and under the Land Ceiling Act, no person can own more than 17 acres of land. Therefore, this land should come under the government and be given to landless Dalits. ZPSC president Mukesh Maloud and treasurer Bakkar Singh Hathoa alleged that on May 20, when the activists were peacefully marching towards Beed Iswan village, they were forcibly stopped and arrested. Some people were released late night, but more than 400 protesters are still in custody, of which about 300 have been lodged in various jails. According to a report published in the Indian Express, Pendu Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) president Tarsem Peter said that 70 women are lodged in Sangrur jail, 35 in Malerkotla, 66 in Patiala, 85 in Nabha and about 100 in Bathinda jail. The location of many other activists has not been made public by the administration so far. Peter said, “This is a violation of every principle of democracy.” The ZPSC has alleged that the activists lodged in jail are being treated inhumanly. They are kept in overcrowded barracks, denied clean drinking water, poor food arrangements and even essential items sent by their families are being snatched away. Several student activists are also involved in the agitation, including Sukhdeep Kaur of the Punjab Students Union. They have reportedly not even been allowed to take their exams in jail. The ZPSC has called it “dictatorship and murder of democracy”. Following the development, the Pendu Mazdoor Union has launched a statewide campaign against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. “More than 400 Dalit labourers — men and women — have been arrested and many are still missing. This entire action is unjust and undemocratic,” said Avtar Singh Rasoolpur, general secretary of the union. Kashmir Singh Ghugashor, the press secretary of the union, said, “The government is standing with the landlords and corporate houses and is preventing the settlement of Begumpura, a proposed colony for landless labourers on 927 acres of land. We demand the unconditional release of all the arrested activists.” On this issue, Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said, “Out of 927 acres, about 800 acres is forest land, while 125 acres of cultivable land is in the possession of some private individuals who are related to the late ruler of Jind state, Satbir Singh. The ownership of this land has not yet been handed over to the government, and the matter is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court has ordered to maintain status quo, so the government or any organization cannot claim it right now.” Meanwhile, Satpal Virdhi, former general secretary of Sant Sarvan Das Ji Sachkhand Balan, the largest dera of Ravidasiya community from Jalandhar, has written a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemning this action. He wrote, “This arrest is injustice to the Dalits of Punjab. It is against the spirit of the Constitution and an attack on the entire concept of justice.” Virdhi has demanded a fair investigation of all the arrests, immediate release and transparent dialogue with grassroots organizations. He said, “This demand of the landless people is not alms, it is their constitutional right. The land reform law was implemented in 1972, but till date it is only on paper and in reality there is repression.” This ongoing struggle for land rights is now giving a new direction to the questions of human rights and social justice in the entire state and the country. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Bihar: Patna Municipal Corporation is getting sewage cleaned before the monsoons—Safai Karamchari Commission took suo motu cognizance of the complaint of manual scavenging by a 23-year-old Dalit engineering student!
NCSK has directed Patna District Magistrate Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh to immediately investigate the incident. The Commission has asked to submit a detailed action report (ATR) in the prescribed format within 15 days. New Delhi/Patna- The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) has taken suo motu cognizance of a serious complaint of manual scavenging in Patna, Bihar, which highlights violations of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The complainant Shubham Kumar filed a complaint through NCSK’s online portal on May 10, 2025 (Complaint No. 102574), mentioning the incident that took place on April 28 at Chandmari Road, Kankarbagh, Mithapur, Patna. The complaint alleges that persons possibly belonging to the Scheduled Caste community were forced to do manual cleaning of sewage and manholes without any safety equipment or mechanical aid. This act is a clear violation of the 2013 Act, which The Act prohibits manual scavenging and makes mechanised cleaning of sewers and septic tanks compulsory, and is violative of Articles 17 (Abolition of Untouchability) and 21 (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty) of the Constitution of India. The complainant has sought the following reliefs: 1. Immediate investigation of the violation of caste-based discrimination under the 2013 Act and Article 17. 2. Registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under the 2013 Act, the SC/ST Atrocities Act, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for endangering human life. 3. Identification of the names, social category and employment status of the victims. 4. Compensation of Rs 10,00,000 to each victim as per the 2014 Supreme Court judgment Safai Karamchari Andolan vs Union of India. 5. Prosecution against responsible officials of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) and supervisory officials who failed to prevent the incident. 6. If an FIR is not registered, So proper written reasons for this. The complainant has warned that if no action is taken, he will file a contempt petition against NCSK, Bihar State and PMC, as well as approach the Patna High Court under Articles 226 and 215 of the Constitution. Giving more details of the case, Shubham told The Mooknayak that the incident of April 28 happened in front of his eyes. In his colony, the employees of the cleaning contractor were cleaning the manholes naked, they did not have any safety equipment nor were they given any kit to wear during cleaning. Shubham told that the work of cleaning and maintenance of manholes and sewer lines is going on in the entire city before the rains and the safety of the employees and their rights are being grossly ignored. Along with the complaint, four time-stamped, geo-tagged photographs have also been sent which show workers cleaning human excreta and opening manholes without protective equipment, which underlines the dangerous and inhuman nature of this work. After Shubham’s complaint, a committee of the National Safai Karamchari Commission was formed. The NCSK has initiated an inquiry into the matter exercising its authority under the Rules of Procedure, 2019 and Section 31 of the 2013 Act, which empowers the Commission to monitor the implementation of the Act and inquire into complaints of non-compliance. In a letter dated May 2025 (DO No. 11059/50/7/13/20-RAD), the District Magistrate of Patna, Dr Chandrashekhar Singh has been directed to conduct an immediate inquiry into the incident. The Commission has requested to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) in the prescribed format within 15 days, seeking information on compensation provided to the victims as per the Manual Scavengers Rehabilitation Rules, 2013 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 2016. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Chief Secretary of Bihar for action. Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
Gujarat: Dalit youth brutally beaten up for just calling him ‘son’, dies in hospital six days later; 9 arrested
A tragic case of caste violence, Dalit youth dies after fighting for life for 6 days; family demands justice and compensation Gujarat – A Dalit youth was brutally beaten up in Amreli district for allegedly addressing a teenager from another caste as “son”. Six days after the incident, the youth died in Bhavnagar Civil Hospital on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Nilesh Rathod (village – Jarkiya). The police have so far arrested eight accused in the case and detained a minor, while the search for two accused is on. On Friday, Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani staged a protest with the family of the deceased and demanded justice. In a statement released on Facebook, Mevani said: “Nilesh Rathore… passed away a few days ago after being brutally beaten up by casteist elements for merely calling him ‘son’. We demand that the family of the deceased and others affected in the attack be given 5 acres of agricultural land or a government job each, the case be investigated by a senior officer and the trial be held in a fast-track court to set an example.” Rathore’s family has announced that they will not accept the body until their demands are met. What happened? According to the FIR lodged by Lalji Mansukh Chauhan (28), one of the victims, on May 16, he, Rathore and their other companions were at a bhajiya (pakoda) stall on the Amreli-Sawarkundla road. Rathore had gone to buy snacks from a nearby shop. Chauhan said in the FIR that Rathore returned in a panic and said that the shop owner tried to hit him with an iron ladle because Rathore had asked his minor son, addressing him as “son”, if he needed help in reaching a packet of snacks hanging at a height. When Chauhan reached the shop to look into the matter, the shop owner Chhotha Khoda Bharwad attacked him with a stick. Later, a man named Vijay Anand Tota also attacked both Rathore and Chauhan. The FIR said that bhajiya stall owner Jaga Dudhat rescued the two. Later, Rathore’s uncle Suresh Wala reached the shop to talk, but by then Bharwad had called some more men who attacked them with sticks and sickles and hurled caste-related slurs. According to the complaint, the victims tried to flee from the spot, but the attackers followed and kept attacking them, taunting them for being from a “lower caste”. Finally, the attackers stopped after an elderly man intervened. Legal action The FIR lodged at Amreli rural police station first named four accused — Bharwad, Tota, Bhavesh Mundhwa and Jatin Mundhwa. They were booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (BNS), including Section 118(1) – causing grievous hurt, Section 115(2) – voluntarily causing hurt, Section 189 – unlawful assembly, Section 191 – rioting, Section 131 – assault or criminal force, Section 352 – intentional insult for breach of peace, Section 3(5) – responsibility for collective offence. A case was also registered under sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Gujarat Police Act. The police added attempt to murder (Section 109) when Rathore’s condition deteriorated, and murder (Section 103) after his death. Arrests so far The Indian Express quoted Amreli Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kharat as saying that a total of 11 people were involved in the incident, of which 9 have been arrested. Apart from the initial four, the other accused arrested are: Kathad Arjan Mundhwa, Deva Sanga Mundhwa, Duda Boga Mundhwa and Ravi Duda Mundhwa. Police teams are searching for two other absconding accused. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Dalit business champ scheme: Orders on plea seeking CBI probe reserved
He said it was filed out of political animosity as the petitioner himself had stated that the petition was a retaliatory measure to the vandalisation of his house. CHENNAI: The Madras HC’s vacation bench of justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan on Friday reserved orders on a PIL petition filed by YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar seeking a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in implementation of Annal Ambedkar Business Champion Scheme aimed at making SC/ST conservancy workers into entrepreneurs. During the hearing, Additional AAG J Ravindran, representing the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, submitted that 213 eligible persons were selected adhering to eligibility criteria. Questioning the maintainability of the plea and taking it up as urgent matter during vacation, he raised doubts about the bona fide intent behind filing the petition. He said it was filed out of political animosity as the petitioner himself had stated that the petition was a retaliatory measure to the vandalisation of his house. The bench said it wouldn’t see who is the petitioner but only the contents of the plea. It questioned why a group management company was not established as per the requirement of the scheme. Representative of Gen Green Logistics, one of the parties impleaded, submitted that each member belonging to SC will be made a shareholder. Subsequently, the bench reserved the orders. 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.
‘There is nothing to conceal’: Karnataka deputy CM Shivakumar admits to donating Rs 25 lakh to National Herald
NEW DELHI: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Friday admitted to donating Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald, saying “there is nothing to conceal, it is a newspaper run by our party.” Shivakumar’s statement came after the ED named his brother DK Suresh and Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy in its chargesheet related to the National Herald case. Addressing reporters, Shivakumar said, “I donated Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald. It is a newspaper run by our party. My brother and I have given money to the publication. We have also given donations from our trust. We have given our hard-earned money; there is nothing to conceal,” Shivakumar told reporters.The National Herald newspaper is still under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of an ongoing probe involving senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi. The matter is linked to alleged financial irregularities in the transfer of a Rs 90.25 crore loan from the Indian National Congress (INC) to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, and its subsequent assignment to Young Indian for a mere Rs 50 lakh. BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) also posted on X, sharing newspaper report screenshots about the National Herald case. “Telangana has become an ATM for Scamgress and it’s been now corroborated by agencies As the ED charge sheets Telangana “Bag Man” in National Herald case, he is trying his best to distract the people’s attention from his corrupt practices The million dollar question is whether the NDA Govt will act this time or pardon Revant Reddy as they’ve done in the case of Amrut Scam, RR Tax and Civil supplies scam” he wrote on X. Earlier on Wednesday, the ED presented initial arguments at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court regarding its complaint against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in a money laundering case connected to the National Herald. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju told the court that the case involves proceeds of crime and ongoing criminal activity, which amounts to money laundering. Following arguments by ASG Raju and ED Special Counsel Zoheb Hosain, the court scheduled the next round of hearings from July 2 to July 8. The court scheduled the next hearing for July after the defence requested more time, citing the submission of a large number of documents totaling 5,000 pages. 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.
UP: 12-year-old Dalit girl raped by teenagers in Moradabad
The girl alleged the boys spiked her soft drink, raped her and made a video, which was circulated online. In a horrifying act, a 12-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by five boys, all aged between 12 and 15, inside the principal’s office in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district. The incident took place on May 8. The girl alleged the boys spiked her soft drink, raped her and made a video, which was circulated online. It was only after one of her neighbours saw the video that the crime came out in the open. The Dalit girl’s mother immediately filed a complaint with the police and all five boys were arrested on May 20. According to the girl’s complaint, she knew the boys. They asked her to accompany them to a nearby school. Having known them, she agreed. One of the boys had the key to the school’s building and then took her to the principal’s office. “Once inside, they locked the gate and gave me a soft drink. After that, I lost consciousness. All five raped me and then made a video. When I came to my senses, they threatened to kill my parents if I mentioned the incident,” the Dalit girl said in her statement. Police said that all five have been arrested and sent to a juvenile facility. A case has been registered. Lakdikapul Gated CommunitySt JosephsGermanten Hospital Meanwhile, the girl is receiving counselling. Posted by Veena Nair Courtesy : TSD Note: This news is originally published on https://thesiasatdaily.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Private school principal gets one-year RI for misbehaving with minor Dalit student in Telangana’s Adilabad
The court cross-questions 17 eyewitnesses and examines pieces of evidence produced before it by public prosecutor Adilabad: A court here on Thursday sentenced a principal of a private school to one-year rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 9,000 for misbehaving with a minor Dalit student a year ago Additional district court principal judge Dr Shivaramprasad delivered the verdict awarding the term and fine on Phanimohan Rao of SR Prime School in Mavala for misbehaving with a minor girl from a weaker section by inviting her to his cabin on January 3, 2024. The court cross-questioned 17 eyewitnesses and examined pieces of evidence produced before it by public prosecutor B Praveen Kumar. Courtesy : Telangana Today Note: This news is originally published on https://telanganatoday.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
A 1st in 16 years in Punjab: No 5-marla plots for landless, Dalit group tries to take forcible possession
Bathinda: Punjab govt is planning to acquire 24,311 acres of land in villages around Ludhiana for developing urban estates, but the landless Dalits of the state have now been waiting for decades for the same govt to give them possession of their share of common village lands or those belonging to the erstwhile princely state of Jind. This demand for land reached a boiling point on Tuesday, when close to 350 Dalit activists, including women from a group called Zameen Prapati Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC), were taken into custody over their call to take possession of 927 acres of land near Bir Aishwan sanctuary in Sangrur. Though contacted, police officers refused to comment on the arrests. The name of ZPSC translates to land possession movement committee. The call for action had come as continuous state govts in Punjab have been promising landless Dalits 5-marla (125-square-yard) residential plots out of their village’s common land, but none has acted on it. The land in Bir Aishwan initially belonged to the erstwhile Jind and Sangrur princely state, but it later came under the control of certain companies and individuals, apart from some under the control of the state govt. While making demands to distribute this land to the landless, ZPSC made a call to forcibly take possession of the land under the Punjab Land Reforms Act, 1972. The act was a reminder of what unravelled in 2008-2009, when Dalit labour group Mazdoor Mukti Morcha forcibly took possession of over 500 acres of land in various villages in Mansa and Sangrur districts. The state govt, after a few days, took back the land by arresting hundreds of activists. Apart from these two instances, Dalit organisations have been making efforts to get these lands vacated from panchayats or even taking possession on a small scale across Punjab over the decades. Lachman Sewewala from Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union said no govt in Punjab had implemented the land reform law, and no excess land permissible under the act was taken back from any person, nor was any land allotted to the landless under this law. “The govts or various authorities very conveniently prefer to avoid such issues,” he said. In their action at Bir Aishwan, ZPSC had planned to build Begumpura (a concept originating in social thought, envisioning a society characterised by equality, freedom from oppression, and free from the constraints of caste, class, and social hierarchies). However, police conducted raids at the houses of leaders before May 20. Though leaders evaded arrest, a large number of activists started moving towards Bir Aishwan, and many of them were taken into custody. Dalit organisations have opposed the move of activists being arrested, and a protest was organised at New Delhi’s Punjab Bhawan on Thursday to oppose the arrests. The protest was organised by the Delhi Committee of CPI(ML) New Democracy, attended by leaders from other left-leaning organisations, where some activists, including Aparna (President, National Committee, IFTU), Poonam (General Secretary, PMS, Delhi), and Rajesh (General Secretary, IFTU, Delhi), were detained. They demanded the immediate release of all ZPSC leaders and activists and the distribution of surplus public land in Sangrur to landless Dalits. Pendu Mazdoor Union president Tarsem Peter, general secretary Avtar Singh, and functionary Kashmir Singh Ghugsher said ZPSC was demanding the land originally owned by Jind State for the landless, but instead of listening to their voices, the state made the police conduct raids at the homes of leaders and arrested over 300 protesters when they tried to take possession of the land. “The govt should implement the land ceiling act and distribute surplus lands to the landless,” said Peter. They also described the decision of the state govt to acquire over 24,000 acres of land as an assault on agriculture and environment. They said the state can acquire such huge tracts of land for industry, but is not ready to provide land to the landless. 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.
Dalit groom ‘pulled off chariot over DJ music’ in Mathura
AGRA: A Dalit groom was allegedly dragged off his cha-riot and several wedding gu-ests were assaulted after a group of upper caste men at-tacked a wedding procession with DJ in Bhureka village of Mathura district, police said. The accused, allegedly enraged by the choice of mu-sic played by the DJ, and a ‘rath’, also issued death thre-ats to the groom and other guests if the procession con-tinued. DSP (Mant) Gunjan Singh, said an FIR has been filed and an investigation was underway. She, however, denied that the groom was forcibly pulled off. In his complaint to the po lice, the bride’s uncle, Puran Singh, named Krishna, Manish Kumar and Ankur all residents of Navali in Mathura as the main accused. He said, “Around 12.30pm on Wednesday, the three, along with 20-25 unidentified men, stopped the procession, hurled casteist slurs, and assaulted our family members with sticks. They asked us how we could dare to take out a wedding procession with a DJ and a rath in front of us. They pulled the groom off the buggy, stopped the DJ and told us they’d kill us if the procession wasn’t stop-ped. I called number 112 and police came to ensure proces-sion continued peacefully The wedding ceremony was later held at the banquet hall under police protection.” However, the mob allegedly returned on Thursday morning at around 8am on motorcycles, armed with sticks, pistols, and knives. They stormed the house and assaulted several members of the groom’s family. Singh said, “They abused them with casteist slurs and beat them up. They tore the wo men’s clothes and vandali-sed household items, inclu-ding cots and a motorcycle.” Another police officer said, “A case has been registered at Naujheel police station under several provisions, including BNS Section 191-2 (rioting) and the SC/ST Act. Other applicable sections include BNS 76 (as-sault or use of criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe or compel her to be naked) and 333 (house trespass after preparation for causing harm, assault, or wrongful restraint).” Similar caste-based at-tacks were reported in the district. In March, three men were charged for assaulting a Dalit groom and threate-ning to kill him if he didn’t dismount his horse. They allegedly hurled casteist slurs and smashed portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha displayed in the pro-cession. According to the complaint, the groom and the baraatis were forced to walk while the band followed in silence. On April 16, another Dalit groom was allegedly pulled off his mare and thrashed by upper-caste men for playing loud music near their ho-mes. Armed with sticks and sharp weapons, the attack-ers injured several guests, including women and children. The baraatis switched off the music and lights and rushed to the venue in fear 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.