Dharamshala Dalit Student’s Death Case: College Claims Deceased Was Not Enrolled, Failed 3 First-Year Subjects

A 19-year-old woman allegedly subjected to ragging, sexual harassment and mental torture at a Dharamshala college died, sparking statewide outrage. Police booked four students and a professor, while the college denied her current enrollment, citing failed subjects. The family questioned the role of the college and police as investigations continue. Dharamshala: After the death of a 19-year-old female student, who was allegedly subjected to ragging and sexual harassment at her college, triggered widespread outrage across Himachal Pradesh, the college administration has come out in support of the accused professor and said that the woman was not enrolled as a student after she failed 3 subjects in the first year. About The Case The deeply disturbing case came to light on Friday from Dharamshala, where Pallavi, who was allegedly subjected to ragging and sexual harassment at her college, died while undergoing prolonged treatment. This case triggered widespread outrage and has raised questions over the role of the college and police administration. In connection with the case, police have registered an FIR against four female students and a college professor. However, the matter has taken a controversial turn as the college administration has refused to recognise the deceased as a student of the institution for the current academic year. This has led the victim’s family and guardians to question the conduct of both the college authorities and the police in handling the case. Following the death Pallavi, who was associated with Dharamshala Degree College, serious allegations of ragging, sexual harassment and mental torture have surfaced. Acting on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, Vikram Kumar, the Dharamshala police have registered a case under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which deal with sexual harassment, voluntarily causing hurt and common intention. The FIR also includes Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009. Confirming the development, Kangra ASP Veer Bahadur said the matter had earlier been taken up on the Chief Minister’s helpline. Addressing questions over police action, he said, “Questions are being raised about the police; the truth is that as soon as they received information about the case, they immediately contacted the victim’s family and learned that they were out of town for their daughter’s treatment.” He added that the family had been requested to inform the police after returning to Dharamshala. “The police are now investigating it, in which four female students and one professor have been named as parties,” the ASP said. Meanwhile, the deceased student’s father, Vikram Kumar, has raised strong objections to the conduct of the college administration, the police and what he described as the prevailing mindset of society. He alleged that the very institution where he had sent his daughter to pursue her studies failed to protect her. “Not only did the college students mistreat her, but even the professor did not leave any stone unturned in torturing her,” he alleged. Vikram further claimed that his daughter was subjected to casteist slurs and immense mental harassment. “My daughter was so mentally tormented that she ultimately left this world. This is a highly condemnable incident. If strict action is not taken today, then in the near future, other daughters will also continue to be tormented in the same way as my daughter, and there is no guarantee that they will get justice,” he told reporters. Expressing disappointment with the police, he said that the family was compelled to approach the CM’s helpline. “In this situation, they too had to take the matter to the CM’s helpline. If the police had been vigilant here, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened,” Vikram said. After the incident, the college administration has openly defended the accused professor. College Principal Rakesh Pathania said there was no dispute that the deceased had earlier been a student of the college, but claimed she was not enrolled during the current academic year. “Therefore, saying that she was studying in this college would not be fair to the college’s image,” Pathania said. He explained that the student had failed in three subjects in her first year and was repeatedly pressuring the department professor for admission to the second year, which was against university rules. “She left the college and was neither admitted to the first year nor the second year. However, she was seen in college again in July and then left again in September. Therefore, currently, the student has no connection with the college as a regular student,” he said. Pathania also asserted that the college follows a zero-tolerance policy on ragging. “Anti-ragging committee numbers are written in every block, yet we did not receive any complaint from anyone on which an enquiry could be conducted,” he said. Vikram Shri Vats, Associate Professor of Physics and Head of the Professors’ Unit at the college, also came out in support of the accused professor Ashok. While expressing sympathy for the bereaved family, he said, “The ground reality is that the allegations levelled against our college professor Ashok are completely baseless. I condemn them and stand with the professor in this matter.” Similarly, Monica Makkar, Professor of Psychology at the college, defended the accused faculty member. “We stand 100 per cent with Professor Ashok because he has been teaching children in this college since 2006, and to this day, he has not been seen misbehaving with anyone in this way or in any other way,” she said. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has also stepped into the matter following the student’s death. Speaking to reporters, ABVP state secretary Nancy Atal said the organisation stands with the victim’s family and questioned the functioning of both the police and the college administration. “If they had taken timely action on this incident, perhaps this situation would not have arisen,” she said. Atal further accused the police of failing in their duty, alleging that they often delay action in criminal cases but act swiftly to suppress student movements. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.

DH Changemakers 2026 | How a transgender woman is empowering her community through livestock farming

Arundathi, a transgender woman from Karnataka, is creating new opportunities for her community through livestock farming, skills training and legal support. From her small farm near Bharamasagara in Chitradurga, she helps transgender and other marginalised people raise goats and chickens so they can move away from begging and sex work and build steady, dignified livelihoods. Her simple pay-it-forward idea means that once someone becomes self-reliant, they pass on animals to another person in need, slowly spreading opportunity across districts. Along with livelihood support, Arundathi also helps people get Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and access to government schemes, making sure they are seen, recognised and included. 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

A man with his face covered raped an elderly Dalit woman, and then the victim’s son did this.

A very shameful incident has come to light from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh. A heinous crime was committed against an elderly Dalit woman, after which the woman fainted. Now, more details have emerged regarding this case. UP News: In our country, elders have always been respected. However, incidents of violence against the elderly are continuously increasing. Sometimes, some incidents are so shocking that they leave everyone ashamed. A similar case has come to light from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh. Here, an elderly woman went to the forest to defecate on Saturday night. But what happened to her there has shamed everyone. As soon as the elderly woman went to the forest to defecate, a man with his face covered came there and committed a heinous act against the elderly woman. It should also be noted that the elderly woman belongs to the Dalit community. As soon as the police were informed about this incident, there was a commotion. According to the information received, the man who committed this heinous crime against the elderly victim had his face covered with a cloth. After the incident, the victim fainted. When she regained consciousness, she went home and informed her neighbor about the incident. Nitesh Srivastava Courtesy: Hindi News

Why is Barmer Collector Tina Dabi being targeted? Bahujan society says: ‘Upper caste resentment against a Dalit topper, she’s not a reel star – she’s a role model!’

Society rallies in support of Tina Dabi on social media, sparking a new debate. Barmer – IAS Tina Dabi, the Collector of Barmer district in Rajasthan, is once again at the center of controversy. Last month, Tina Dabi proved that she is not only a UPSC topper but also a revolutionary warrior for water conservation, when Barmer received the national first prize under the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ from President Draupadi Murmu. But this time, police action during a protest against fee hikes by college students, where she was called a ‘reel star’, has landed her in controversy. The Bahujan society is calling it a clear casteist conspiracy – why are upper-caste forces targeting a Dalit woman topper? Tina, who became a national icon after securing AIR-1 in UPSC in 2015, is being described as a victim of ‘upper-caste resentment’. Bahujan thinkers believe that Dabi is targeted the most. The first reason is that she is a UPSC topper from a Scheduled Caste. The second is that she has many achievements to her name. The root of the controversy: ‘Reel star’ comment and police action The incident took place at Maharana Bhupal Government PG College. On Saturday, students protested outside the college against the increase in examination fees. They demanded to meet IAS Tina Dabi, who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her first attempt at the age of 22. The situation worsened when an officer described Dabi as a ‘role model’ for the students, which was opposed by students associated with the BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). They said, “The Collector is not a role model. If she were, she would have come to listen to the students’ demands. She is a reel star and is busy making reels, but she doesn’t pay attention to our problems.” Following this, the students were allegedly detained by the police. ABVP condemned the alleged arrest of the students in a tweet on X: “The arrest of the students is an attack on democratic values. When the police asked them to talk to IAS Tina Dabi after calling her a ‘reel star’, the ABVP students gave a clear answer.” The students claim they were detained after the protest ended. Following this, several students gathered outside the police station, demanding the release of the arrested students and an apology from the administration. Senior police officer Manoj Kumar told NDTV, “No one was detained or arrested. Four boys were brought to the police station to calm the situation and were later asked to leave. But the students gathered near the police station and insisted on an apology.  A discussion took place when senior officers arrived.” Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the incident, writing on social media, “Another day of intolerance from a bureaucrat in India. Despite corruption, power intoxication, and now intolerance, they get away without any serious scrutiny.” The controversy is rapidly spreading on social media. Tina Dabi completely denied the allegations: “There were no arrests or detentions. The fee hike issue had been resolved, yet the students were blocking the road and creating a disturbance. My subordinates took them to the police station, spoke to them, and released them after two hours. The ground issue is over, but it’s being kept alive on social media for defamation and cheap publicity.” Support from the Bahujan community: ‘This is a casteist conspiracy, we stand with Tina’ Bahujan thinkers are calling this an attack on Dalit excellence. Political scientist and Assistant Professor at Jadavpur University, Subhajit Naskar, tweeted: “Some UC liberals started targeting Dalit woman IAS Tina Dabi. A little investigation revealed – RSS student wing ABVP leaders were organized there! Hopefully, things are clear now.” In another tweet, Subhajit wrote: “Tina Dabi has faced the most vile casteist online abuse – despite being a topper. Even when Dalits are not appointed as Chief Secretaries or DGPs, she is proving her merit.” Anti-caste activist Prof. Rehana Ravindran called it an attack motivated by political self-interest. IRS officer Netrapal, supporting Tina in his post, wrote, “Targeting Tina Dabi in this manner… If you want, study and get Rank-1. If the roads are not good, file a complaint against the responsible engineers… The MLA should be held accountable. The local councilor, panchayat members should be held accountable. Suddenly, they target a collector just because she is a role model.” Swayam Sainik Dal tweeted: “The attempt to belittle Tina Dabi is a casteist conspiracy. Insecurity due to her brilliant success. We stand with Tina.” In another post, they said: “This controversy is a conspiracy to divert attention from illegal mining and the destruction of the Aravalli range. We will not let Tina become a victim of media trial.” Mayur Pawar wrote: “The casteist system is hell-bent on destroying Tina Dabi despite her good work. ABVP broke the campus, she took action, so a fake narrative. Stay strong Tina, we are with you.” A user, Happy Singh, targeted Anuradha Tiwari’s tweet: “This Brahmin woman is not only insulting top Dalit IAS Tina Dabi but also mocking reservation and Ambedkar’s ideology. A case should be filed under the SC/ST Act.” Author Lokesh Bag wrote, “IAS Tina Dabi is being targeted once again, and this is clearly a well-planned conspiracy. The fact that a woman from our community topped the UPSC exam with AIR-1 is still something many casteists cannot digest. As the Collector of Barmer district in Rajasthan, Tina Dabi led a major water conservation initiative, which earned the district the first ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award’ from the President.” Rahul wrote: “‘Merit’ is only believed in until a Dalit tops the exam. Then it’s injustice? If you can’t defeat a ‘reserved’ student in the open merit category, then your superiority is itself reserved. Tina Dabi bothers them for this reason.” Bahujan thinker Gurudayal said: “Tina Dabi bothers you because a Dalit daughter has reached great heights. Your Brahminical superiority complex is being shattered. Reservation is an account of centuries of slavery.” Just a month

Moradabad: Dalit woman pressured to convert religion, threatened with abduction, victim’s brother in jail… the case is complicated

A young woman from Moradabad has accused some people of pressuring her to convert her religion. She has also alleged that the police are acting unfairly. The victim’s brother is also in jail on charges of molestation. In the Majhola police station area of ​​Moradabad, a Dalit woman was molested by two young men. It is alleged that after the FIR was registered, the two accused are pressuring the woman to convert her religion. They are also threatening to abduct her, using offensive language. In this case, the woman has released a video demanding strict action against the accused from the district police. She alleged that the police released the accused after filing charges under minor sections. The woman, who lives in the Majhola area, had complained to the police, accusing two young men from her village of entering her house and molesting her. In this case, the police registered an FIR and filed charges against both the accused under sections 126 and 135. On Friday, the woman uploaded a video on a social media platform. The woman alleged that the perpetrators are constantly stopping her on the road and making obscene comments. She has been subjected to incidents of molestation. Due to the actions of these bullies, it has become difficult for her to leave her house. She is constantly living in an atmosphere of fear. The accused are trying to silence her by sending offensive and threatening messages on Instagram. In the viral video, the woman alleged that the accused are pressuring her to convert her religion. Earlier, she had filed an FIR against the accused, but the police registered the FIR under minor sections instead of serious ones and released both of them after filing charges. In this case, the police say that action was taken against the victim woman’s brother in June in a case of rape against the sister of the accused. He is currently in jail. Published by: Vimal Sharma Courtesy: Hindi News

Dalit woman makes serious allegations against police in viral video, says she fears for her safety

In Moradabad, a Dalit woman has released a video alleging that some people are constantly pressuring her and trying to intimidate her by sending offensive messages through Instagram. The police say that the woman’s allegations will be investigated and action will be taken. Moradabad, A video from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, is rapidly going viral on social media. In this video, a Dalit woman is making serious allegations against some people of harassment, constant torment, and mental torture. The woman has appealed for justice through social media. She says that if anything happens to her, the police will be entirely responsible. Regarding the woman’s allegations, the police say that the allegations will be investigated and strict action will be taken against the culprits. What allegations has the Dalit woman made? The woman alleges that some people are constantly pressuring her and trying to intimidate her by sending offensive messages through Instagram. The woman claims that she complained to the police about this entire matter, and a case was also registered, but no strict action was taken against the accused. The woman also says that despite the serious allegations, the police released the accused after filing charges under minor sections. Because of this, she fears for her safety. The woman has clearly stated that if anything untoward happens to her, the police and administration will be responsible. In this matter, the police have called the allegations baseless and assured an impartial investigation. Moradabad SP City Ranvijay Singh said, “The woman whose video is going viral is the sister of a man against whom a case was previously registered, and he was sent to jail. She is related to the people involved in that case. On June 2nd, the woman submitted a written complaint. The police are reviewing the entire matter. Technical evidence and available proofs are being thoroughly investigated. No concrete basis has been found for the allegations made in the video so far, but despite this, the matter is being seriously investigated.” Further action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during the investigation. Reported by: Ranveer Singh Courtesy: Hindi News

Dalit woman’s video goes viral in Moradabad, police make shocking claim regarding molestation allegations

Moradabad News: In the viral video, the woman alleges that the accused were let off with minor charges instead of serious ones, which has increased her fear. The woman has questioned the police. In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit woman from the Majhola police station area has made sensational allegations of molestation and harassment by some influential men. She has also released a video, which is now viral on social media. In the initial investigation, the police have claimed that the woman’s brother is an accused in a rape case, and she made this video under pressure to save him. The matter is currently under investigation. In the viral video, the woman alleges that the accused were let off with minor charges instead of serious ones, which has increased her fear. The woman has clearly stated that if anything happens to her, the police and administration will be responsible. She has also questioned the working of the Majhola police.  Currently, this matter has gained significant attention at the local level. What is the whole matter? The woman, a resident of the Majhola police station area, released this video on Thursday. In the viral video, the woman says that some people are forcibly pressuring her and trying to intimidate her by sending objectionable messages through Instagram. The woman claims that she complained to the police about the entire matter, and a case was registered, but no strict action was taken against the accused. She has demanded intervention from senior police officers. Claim of making the video to save her brother In this matter, SP City Ranvijay Singh says that a case was previously registered against the woman’s brother, in which he was sent to jail. Following this, the application given by the woman and the viral video are being investigated along with technical evidence. Further action will be taken based on the facts that emerge. By: Obaidur Rahman Courtesy: Hindi News

Follow-Up: Sarpanch arrested in Dausa, Rajasthan for making derogatory and casteist remarks against Dalit women!

This arrest is a result of the incident that occurred on December 14, when Sarpanch Yogi publicly made derogatory remarks against SC women at a meeting of the Nath community. Dausa – Sarpanch Shivcharan Yogi, accused of making derogatory casteist remarks against Scheduled Caste (SC) women in Dausa district of Rajasthan, has finally been arrested. Dausa police took action under pressure from protests and demonstrations by Dalit organizations, including the Bhim Army. Local Bhim Army leader Suresh Mehar told The Mooknayak that SP Sagar Rana confirmed the arrest and the accused will soon be produced in court, from where he will be sent to judicial custody. This incident has intensified the demand for social justice throughout the region, and organizations have warned that no casteist will be spared. The protest has ended, but this victory has become an example of the struggle of the Dalit community. This arrest is a result of the incident that occurred on December 14, when Sarpanch Yogi publicly made derogatory remarks against SC women at a meeting of the Nath community. After the video went viral, FIR No. 0461 was registered on December 15 at Dausa Sadar police station under Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 4 and 3(2)(va) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. Complainant Satish Kumar stated that Yogi said in the meeting, “We are not the urine of Bhangan and Chamari,” which was a deep insult to women of the SC community based on their caste. This remark was made at the Nath Samaj hostel located on Singwara Road. Outrage sparked by casteist remarks The matter began on December 14 at a meeting related to the state elections of the Nath community. Shivcharan Yogi, the district president of the Nath community and Sarpanch of Gurjar Simla (Mehandipur Balaji), was the main speaker. During the meeting, he used extremely abusive and casteist words against Scheduled Caste women, which was captured on video. The use of words like ‘Bhangin’ and ‘Chamari’ was not only an insult to the dignity of the women but also an attempt to demean the entire Dalit community. As soon as the video went viral on social media, outrage spread among Dalit organizations. Satish Kumar’s complaint clearly stated that such remarks create animosity between two communities and harm social harmony. Angered by the police’s slow action even after the FIR was registered, the Bhim Army started a protest at the Dausa district headquarters on December 17. The Bhim Army and other SC/ST organizations unitedly demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. Mehar said, “We joined the ongoing protest at the Dausa district headquarters regarding the arrest of the casteist Shivcharan Yogi. The police were not arresting the accused, and the protest was held to demand his arrest.” Mehar further revealed that he spoke directly to Dausa SP Sagar Rana. The SP confirmed the arrest and assured that the accused would be produced in court, from where he would be sent to judicial custody. Mehar emphasized, “No casteist will be spared. The accused Shivcharan Yogi has been arrested.” Mehar said, “This arrest is a victory for the unity of the Dalit community. But the struggle does not end here. We have to fight against casteism at every level.” The Bhim Army thanked all its supporters and said that they will conduct awareness campaigns to prevent such incidents in the future. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News

UP: Dalit Woman Beaten, Molested Before Paralysed Husband in Pilibhit

A 28-year-old Dalit woman from a village in Pilibhit district has alleged that she was abused with casteist slurs, beaten and molested inside her home in front of her paralysed husband. Police said the incident took place around 8 pm on Friday, and an FIR was registered on Saturday morning. According to the complaint, the woman had approached the Bareilly divisional commissioner on October 8, accusing a farmer from her village of obtaining an income certificate through irregular means. She alleged that despite owning more than five acres of agricultural land, a fishery farm and two tractors, the accused had secured an income certificate showing his annual income as only Rs 45,000. Police said that after an inquiry was ordered into her complaint, the accused and his two adult sons allegedly entered her house in retaliation. The woman stated that the main accused pushed her to the ground, assaulted her and used criminal force with the intention of outraging her modesty. She also alleged that the men hurled caste based abuses and threatened her with serious consequences. The woman further told the police that the dispute was also linked to the selection of an ASHA worker in the village. She and the accused’s daughter had both applied for the post last year. However, her application was rejected and the accused’s daughter was selected in April this year. She said she had been keen to get the job to support her family, especially as her husband is paralysed. Station House Officer Vipin Shukla said the three accused have been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC ST Act. “The accused have been charged with house trespass, intentional insult, causing hurt, criminal force against a woman, criminal intimidation and relevant provisions of the SC ST Act,” he said, adding that the investigation is currently underway. 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

Dalit woman thrashed & molested by farmer, his sons over flagging ‘irregularities’ in income cert

Pilibhit: A 28-year-old Dalit woman from a village in Pilibhit district was allegedly abused with casteist slurs, brutally beaten and molested in front of her paralysed husband by a farmer of the same village and his two adult sons, police said. The incident took place around 8 pm on Friday, following which an FIR was registered on Saturday morning. In her complaint, the woman stated that she had approached the Bareilly divisional commissioner on Oct 8 this year, alleging irregularities in the income certificate obtained by the main accused. She claimed that despite owning over five acres of agricultural land, a fishery farm and two tractors, the accused had procured an income certificate showing his annual income as only Rs 45,000. Police said that after an inquiry was ordered into the complaint, the accused and his sons allegedly barged into the woman’s house in retaliation. The woman said that the main accused knocked her to the ground, assaulted her and subjected her to criminal force with intent to outrage her modesty. She also alleged that she was threatened with dire consequences. The complainant further stated that the dispute had its roots in rivalry over the selection of an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker. Both the complainant and the accused’s daughter had applied for the post last year, but the complainant was dropped, and the accused’s daughter was selected in April this year. Police said the complainant had been keen on securing the job to support her family, particularly in view of her husband’s paralysed condition. SHO Vipin Shukla said the accused trio has been booked under BNS Sections 333 (house trespass after preparation for hurt), 352 (intentional insult), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 74 (criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act. Investigation is underway. 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  

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