Telangana HC clears constable post for Dalit woman after 8 yr case
Division Bench upholds single-judge order, dismisses govt appeal against appointment under SC and local quota in 2015 constable recruitment. Hyderabad: A Dalit woman has secured an appointment as a police constable after the Telangana High Court upheld her petition. The court directed that she be considered under the Scheduled Caste reservation and local quota. In the 2015 recruitment for Stipendiary Cadet Trainee Civil Police Constable and Armed Reserve Constable posts, K Sangeetha of Hyderabad’s Gowliguda was rejected on the grounds of being a non-local candidate. She challenged the decision by filing a petition before the High Court in 2017. A single-judge bench ruled in March 2025 that she was entitled to be appointed under the SC reserved category and local quota. The state government and police recruitment board filed appeals questioning this order. A division bench of Chief Justice Apresh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin at the Telangana High Court on Monday dismissed the appeals, upholding the earlier direction for her appointment. Posted by P N Sree Harsha Courtesy : TSD Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Uttar Pradesh: 19-year-old Dalit woman alleges gang rape in Pratapgarh Gang Rape, raped
In a distressing incident in the Patti area of Pratapgarh district, a 19-year-old Dalit woman, a college student, was allegedly raped by two men on Saturday, September 6, 2025, police reported on Sunday. The assault occurred when the victim visited a village under the Patti police station jurisdiction to collect money from a friend’s acquaintance, according to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), East, Shailendra Lal. Based on the victim’s complaint, a case was registered on Saturday evening against the two accused, identified as Aman and his accomplice, under relevant legal provisions, including sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and applicable laws for crimes against Scheduled Castes. The police have launched a manhunt, forming four specialized teams to apprehend the suspects. ASP Lal assured that the accused would be arrested soon, emphasizing the authorities’ commitment to swift justice. This case underscores the ongoing issue of violence against Dalit women in India, raising concerns about safety and systemic discrimination. The police are under pressure to act decisively to ensure accountability and provide support to the victim, as the community demands stringent action against the perpetrators to prevent such heinous crimes. — With Agencies Inputs Courtesy : Muslim Mirror Note: This news is originally published on https:/muslimmirror.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
‘Dalit devadasis lowest on social ladder’— Karnataka tackles twin stigma of caste, sex work
Despite being banned, the devadasi system still traps tens of thousands of Dalit women in Karnataka. A new survey and state law target both caste oppression and sex work stigma. Ballari/Koppal/Bagalkot: When Huligemma went to school for the first time, the teacher asked her father’s name. She did not have any idea. Whispers followed her down the corridor — “sule maklu”, prostitute’s child. “I never looked for a father. Although I always knew a father figure in life would have security, which my mother did. I heard people saying my mother is a devadasi. It took me time to understand,” said the 21-year-old, who lives with her mother Kenchamma and three siblings in Sandur village, Ballari district. Now a new state law in Karnataka is going beyond a 1982 ban on the devadasi system. It promises housing, healthcare, inheritance rights, and protection from stigma for both devadasis and their children. The practice, which consecrates mostly Dalit women to temples but brands them as prostitutes, continues to haunt tens of thousands of lives across the state. But who benefits also depends on who gets counted. The State Human Rights Commission has asked the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to finish a survey of Devadasis and submit recommendations by 23 October. The last survey in 2007-08 counted 46,660 women across Karnataka. The reach of the new law’s benefits will depend on how this survey is done. If, as before, it includes only women dedicated before the 1982 ban, younger Devadasis like Kenchamma — and by extension her daughter — will be left out again. Earlier this month, Siddaramaiah announced that the Devadasi survey will be carried out starting from the first week of September. “If the Devadasi system is still alive today, it is a matter of shame for all of us,” he said. Devadasis are poised at the thorny intersection of caste, religion, and sex work. Huligemma first heard about the Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) Act, 2025, passed in the state assembly on 18 August, through a community newsletter. She narrated it to her mother, who struggles to read. “My mother is hopeful we four children will now be able to live a life free of poverty and discrimination,” said Huligemma. In their single-room home, she prepares sugary milk tea for Kenchamma. “I know the horrors. I will never let my daughter go through this,” said Kenchamma, a frail 45-year-old who was only ten when her parents dedicated her as a devadasi because she was “beautiful” and they needed the money. She pulls out two necklaces hidden under her blouse: a white-red beaded muthu and a mangalsutra tied at the temple. They were meant to mark her as a handmaiden of the goddess; in practice, they marked her out to men as a sex worker. When I was applying for a passport, it was so difficult to get away with the column for my father’s name. It was the worst experience. With this law, devadasi children will no longer be subjected to such atrocity -Nari Kamakshi, daughter of a devadasi “It is the worst practice, people only see you as a sex worker,” said Kenchamma, who now works as a farm labourer. More than her three sons, she dotes on Huligemma, who is doing her BA (general course) at a local college. But it’s a struggle. She has not been able to pay fees for this term. “I do not want to leave studying, it is the only way my family and I can move out of this hell,” Huligemma said. Centuries ago, no one knows exactly when, girls from poor families were dedicated to goddesses to serve in temples. What began as ritual worship turned into systematic sexual exploitation of Dalit women, particularly from Madiga, Madar, and Holeya communities. In Karnataka, about 95 percent of devadasis are Dalit. In 1982, the state banned the practice through the Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act. Yet the system stayed entrenched across northern districts like Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Koppal, Ballari, Raichur and Kalaburagi. To wrest themselves free, women have relied on educating children and asserting dignity through caste pride. The state’s role has been minimal, though those counted in the last survey received devadasi certificates through which they accessed some benefits. Some received land, pensions of around Rs 2,500, and financial incentives for marriage—Rs 3 lakh for men marrying a devadasi, Rs 5 lakh for women. This time, devadasis had a bigger say in shaping the law. It was drafted after seven months of research by a National Law School of India University (NLSIU) team working with NGOs, activists, and more than 15,000 devadasis. Children of 15 devadasis documented problems and suggestions across districts in northern Karnataka. Consultations followed, with the community itself proposing changes to improve their lives. RV Chandrashekar, coordinator of the drafting committee, said the survey would spell out caste details and show how the practice is bound up with casteist oppression. “Among Dalit women, devadasis are lowest on the social ladder, and the caste census in the survey will prove that,” he said. “It will give them and their children a better life.” In the Harijan colony of Bagalkot’s Rabkavi town, 33-year-old Lakshmi drapes a red-and-white chiffon saree, puts on lipstick and kajal, and sends her two children to the back room. It is sundown, the time when she starts getting customers at her doorstep, though she’s worried the incessant rain might keep them away. Lakshmi is a second-generation devadasi. She was 12 when her mother encouraged her into the profession. Unlike her four sisters, who were good at studies, her only skill was singing and dancing. For her desperately poor Dalit household, dedicating her was a way out. “Ma told me not to make noise, cooperate with the man, just do the deed,” said Lakshmi. “I did not cry, I was numb. It was just for 20 minutes.” She laughed as she spoke, as if the memory belonged to someone else. Fifteen years later, Lakshmi sits in
Dalit woman’s house wall broken in Raebareli: Gram Pradhan forcibly got Kharinja installed, victim complained to DM
A case of breaking the wall of a Dalit woman’s house has come to light in Barha village of Lalganj area of Raebareli. A woman named Meena has accused Gram Pradhan Kishore. On January 24, 2025, there was no one in Meena’s house. During this time, the Pradhan along with his associates demolished the wall of her kutcha house. Meena immediately informed the police. When the police arrived, the accused threatened the victim that they would demolish the entire house if she complained. The victim told that the Kharinja installed by former Pradhan Mahendra Singh was at the right place. The current Pradhan has demolished the wall of the house and got Kharinja built from the other side. Meena went to the police station, tehsil and block office for justice. But no officer reached the spot for investigation. On August 2, at 12 noon, Meena gave a complaint letter to District Magistrate Harshita Mathur. She has demanded to register a case against the accused under the SC-ST Act. They have also demanded removal of illegal Kharinja and their own security. Arvind Bharti Courtesy: Hindi News
UP: Occult practitioner booked for raping Dalit woman
According to the complaint, Alfaz sent the woman’s mother out of the room on some pretext during the ritual and allegedly raped the woman before fleeing the spot. Saharanpur: Police have booked an occult practitioner for allegedly raping a 20-year-old Dalit woman under the pretext of performing rituals, police here said on Monday. The survivor’s family filed a complaint at the Deoband Police Station, accusing Alfaz of raping the woman during a “treatment session” on Sunday night. Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural Sagar Jain, told PTI that Alfaz, a resident of Mohalla Khankah in Deoband, claims to cure serious ailments through occult practices. The victim’s family had called him to their house to treat their ailing daughter. According to the complaint, Alfaz sent the woman’s mother out of the room on some pretext during the ritual and allegedly raped the woman before fleeing the spot. When the woman’s condition worsened, she confided in her mother, who immediately informed her father. The family then approached the police, and the woman was sent for medical examination. Jain said two police teams have been formed to arrest Alfaz. Posted by Marziya Sharif Courtesy : TSD Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
First made the family members unconscious, then raped the Dalit girl on the pretext of exorcism, brutality of a tantrik in Deoband
A case of rape of a Dalit girl on the pretext of exorcism by a tantrik has come to light in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It is alleged that a youth from another community raped the Dalit girl on the pretext of exorcism. On the complaint of the victim’s father, the police have registered a case against the accused youth and started investigating the matter. A case of rape of a Dalit girl has come to light in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It is alleged that a youth from another community raped the Dalit girl on the pretext of exorcism. The victim’s father has alleged that during the exorcism, the accused made the entire family members unconscious and then raped his 20-year-old daughter. The police have registered a case against the accused and have started investigating the matter. Apart from this, the girl is also being medically examined. The incident is from a village in Deoband police station area of Saharanpur. Here a Dalit villager has filed a complaint with the police accusing a youth named Alfaz of another community of raping his daughter. According to the complaint filed by the Dalit villager, his wife was ill for a long time. Due to this, he felt that she was possessed by ghosts. The tantrik raped her on the pretext of exorcism The victim’s father told that his wife was being treated by a man named Alfaz, who lives in Deoband, for several months. Alfaz was a tantrik and he assured the family members that he would cure his wife completely. Along with this, Alfaz used to visit their house often. On Sunday, Alfaz had come to the victim’s house to treat her. Alfaz locked all the people in the house in another room to treat his wife and he raped his twenty-year-old daughter. It is alleged that Alfaz made the family members unconscious and raped the girl. Police engaged in investigation In the complaint given by the girl’s family, it was written that Alfaz first made everyone unconscious due to tantric rituals. After this, he raped the girl. Police has registered a case against the accused Alfaz after the complaint of the girl’s father. The girl’s medical examination is also being done by the police. Police officials say that the matter is being investigated. Necessary action is being taken by the police in this incident. Vikas Kapil Courtesy: Hindi News
Rajgarh: Case of rape of Dalit woman comes to light
Rajgarh: A 26-year-old Dalit woman living in village Mana of Kurawar police station area has accused a youth from Barodia Talab of raping her several times in a period of one and a half months on the pretext of marriage and threatening to kill her by beating her when she protested. On Monday, the police registered a case against the accused who fled from the spot under various sections including SCST Act and started the search. According to the police, the 26-year-old Dalit woman resident of village Mana told that Arjun son of Govind Khati, resident of village Barodia Talab, raped her several times between 11 June and 27 July on the pretext of marriage. Now he is refusing to marry, he beat her when she protested and threatened to kill her. The police registered a case against the accused who fled from the spot under sections 69, 115(2), 351(3) BNS, SCST Act and started the search. Courtesy : Hindi News
Odisha: Dalit woman paraded wearing garland of shoes for not repaying ₹2,000 loan, video goes viral
Dalit woman inhumanly treated for not repaying ₹2,000 loan, video goes viral on social media. A shocking incident has come to light from Odisha’s Angul district, where a Dalit woman had to face inhuman humiliation for not repaying a small loan of ₹2,000. In the video that went viral on social media, it can be seen that the woman’s face was smeared with soot and she was paraded around the village with a garland of slippers around her neck. According to local sources, the woman had borrowed this money from a village committee. But when she could not return it, some women of the village decided to punish her by allegedly setting up a “kangaroo court”. The victim had lodged a written complaint at the Handapa police station on August 14. However, the villagers allege that the police, local administration and some influential people of the community kept trying to suppress the matter. A villager said, “Despite such a serious crime, no immediate action was taken.” The woman has left the village and gone somewhere else due to the constant fear of danger. Some people say that she may have been pressured to keep quiet. This matter came to light when the video of the incident spread rapidly on social media. After this, civil society organizations and human rights activists have demanded strict action against the culprits. Also, questions are being raised on the role of the police. At present, the official response of the Angul district administration and police is awaited. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Accused arrested for gangraping a Dalit girl in Deoria: They took the girl on a bike while she was going to her aunt’s house
A case of gangrape of a Dalit girl has come to light in Salempur Kotwali area of Deoria. Police have arrested both the accused and sent them to jail. The incident took place on the night of 25 August. The victim had left for her aunt’s house at 8 pm. On the way, Tinku Yadav of Garhwa Mishra and Satish Yadav of Dhanauti Rai made her sit on the bike by luring her to drop her to her aunt’s house. Both the accused took the girl to a deserted house near Dhanauti Rai village. There they forcibly took her inside by gagging her mouth. Both of them raped her one by one. The victim later gathered courage and informed her family about the incident. The police immediately sent the girl to the hospital for medical examination. After the report came, both the accused were arrested. After getting their medical examination done at CHC Salempur, they were produced in the court. The court ordered to send both of them to jail. Police have registered a case under various sections including rape and SC-ST Act. CO Salempur Deepak Shukla said that action is being taken to provide security and justice to the victim. Anugrah Narayan Shahi Courtesy: Hindi News
Attack on Dalit woman and daughters in Pratapgarh: Bullies beat them up in land dispute, police present on the spot did not help
Land dispute took a violent turn in Antu police station area of Pratapgarh. Dalit woman Manju Devi and her three minor daughters were attacked by bullies on Thursday evening in Gram Sabha Para Hamidpur. The incident took place when Manju Devi was cutting grass on the boundary of her field. Beat with sticks started Krishnakant Pandey, Ketan Pandey and others reached there. They started beating the woman with sticks, claiming their right over the land. Manju Devi suffered serious head injuries and fell on the ground. When her daughters Muskan (16), Mansi (14) and Reshma (15) came to save their mother, the bullies did not spare them either. The girls were pulled down by their hair and beaten up. One girl has suffered serious chest injuries. Dial 112 police was present at the spot, but did not take any action. With the help of villagers, the victims were rescued and taken to the district hospital by ambulance. Due to the absence of NCR in the hospital, the doctors refused to treat them. Allegation of the victim’s family Instead of registering the complaint of the victims, the police filed a case against them. The victim’s family alleges that the Antu police station and the area in-charge are in cahoots with the bullies. Earlier also, many fake cases have been registered against the family. This entire incident has once again raised questions on the working of the police. While the woman and girls were beaten in the presence of Dial 112 police, the doctors of the district hospital are also not ready to treat without police NCR. Saket Kumar Mishra Courtesy: Hindi News