Dalit youth assaulted for ‘owning’ high-end bike in Tamil Nadu
The gang also hurled caste-based abuses at the victim, who managed to flee the spot, and reported the incident to the Pappanadu police in the early hours of Tuesday THANJAVUR: The Pappanadu police on Tuesday arrested six caste Hindus for allegedly assaulting a Dalit youth at his residence late on Monday for owning a high-end bike. According to sources, N Pachilin, a 21-year-old Dalit of Vellur who works at an eatery in Pappanadu, on Monday night was returning home from work on his bike when T Gopinath (30) of Nemmeli waylaid him. Gopinath allegedly told Pachilin that those from his caste should not ride costly bikes. Pachilin replied that he bought the bike and had the right to ride it, and rode to his house. Past midnight, Gopinath along with five others confronted Pachilin at his house and allegedly assaulted him with logs as well as their bare hands. The gang also hurled caste-based abuses at him, sources said. Managing to flee the spot, Pachilin reported the incident to the Pappanadu police in the early hours of Tuesday, sources said. Following this, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested Gopinath, V Likanthan (21), A Sarathi (23), M Arunkumar (23), K Udhayan (21) and A Prahadeeswaran (21) on Tuesday. Courtesy : TNI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Now Late Dalit IPS Officer’s Wife, Her MLA Brother Booked in ASI Suicide Case
Puran Kumar was cremated on Wednesday after a week-long tug of war between his family and police authorities over denial of Puran Kumar’s post mortem due to their pending demands. Chandigarh: In a fresh twist to the controversy surrounding Dalit IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar’s death, Haryana police have registered a case against the deceased officer’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, her brother and Punjab MLA Amit Rattan and two others on the charges of abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy in connection with ASI Sandeep Lathar’s suicide case. Lathar, ASI posted in Haryana’s Rohtak, was on Tuesday (October 14) found dead with a gunshot wound along with a purported suicide note that accused the late IPS officer and his family of corruption. Lathar further claimed that the late IPS officer Puran Kumar was facing mounting pressure after his corrupt practices came to light. Lathar was referring to the arrest of Puran Kumar’s gunman Sushil Kumar, who was apprehended for allegedly taking bribe from a Rohtak-based businessman. Sushil Kumar confessed to have taken money on Puran Kumar’s behalf. Further, Lathar narrated in his purported video that Puran Kumar died by suicide due to fear of an impending inquiry, not by any form of social prejudice or caste discrimination as he claimed in his suicide note. In the video, Lathar was also heard saying that “someone has to sacrifice his life to awaken the nation,” while praising state DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and former Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya as honest officers. On the contrary, according to late Puran Kumar’s wife, the conspiracy by Kapur and Bijarniya were the trigger point behind her husband’s death by suicide and she continues to demand their arrest. Puran Kumar was cremated on Wednesday (October 15) after a week-long tug of war between his family and police authorities over denial of Puran Kumar’s post mortem due to their pending demands. The family finally relented after Haryana government sent state DGP Kapur on long leave while also transferring Rohtak SP Bijarniya days earlier on October 9. Somewhat similar developments occurred in the ASI suicide case as well. The family of the ASI withheld post mortem permission of the deceased officer unless police registered the case against all those persons named in his suicide note. The family relented and agreed for autopsy after Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini met the family members of 41-year-old Lathar on Wednesday (October 15) afternoon and assured them of “appropriate action”. Leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders also visited Lathar’s house and expressed condolences. Later in the evening, Sanjay Deswal, Lathar’s cousin, told media that the state government has accepted their demands, including registration of an FIR, government job to Lathar’s wife as per her qualification and fair probe in a time-bound manner. After this, Lathar’s body has been sent to Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, and the post-mortem examination will be conducted on Thursday (October 16) morning followed by cremation. Family silent, AAP minister says conspiracy Meanwhile, there has been no statement from Amneet Kumar or her MLA brother so far. Only thing Amneet Kumar said yesterday was that she had full faith in judicial process and police inquiry and she wants impartial probe. Commenting on the death of ASI Lathar, Punjab finance minister and AAP leader Harpal Cheema said that “when his enemy has died, why did he need to die by suicide?” While addressing media outside governor’s house in Chandigarh, Cheema alleged that he may have been murdered by some agencies or individuals. The police personnel can conspire or commit any treasonous act to save their other officers, to save a DGP, to save an SP, and to save the BJP government, Cheema said. He added that there should be an independent investigation. A high-ranking agency should investigate this, and “I believe that the investigation should be supervised by a judge of the country’s Supreme Court.” If you know someone – a friend or a family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. Icall, a counselling service run by TISS, has maintained a crowdsourced list of therapists across the country. You could also take them to the nearest hospital. Vivek Gupta Courtesy : The Wire India Note: This news is originally published on https:/thewireindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
ASI suspended over Dalit boy’s death probe
He held a meeting with local administration and police officials in Rohru regarding the case. The accused woman is likely to be arrested soon after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Tuesday. The Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Commission has ordered the suspension of ASI Manjeet Singh for conducting a poor investigation into the death of a 12-year-old Dalit boy in the Rohru sub-division, Shimla district. Manjeet was the investigating officer in the case. The panel also found the work of DSP Rohru unsatisfactory and has sought an explanation from him. “The police investigation into the case has not been found satisfactory. The investigation has been hampered by the police’s laxity in the initial investigation,” said Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, chairman of the panel. He held a meeting with local administration and police officials in Rohru regarding the case. The accused woman is likely to be arrested soon after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Tuesday. Unhappy with the investigation, Dhiman stated several lapses in the police work. “When the FIR was initially filed on September 20, the case was not registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. It was only when the matter reached the High Court, the case was registered under the provisions of the Act. Despite this, the police failed to arrest the accused woman,” Dhiman said. He added that the commission had directed DSP Rohru to submit a report within three days on October 1, but the officer failed to do so in time. “The commission received the report from the DGP’s office on October 14. The local police have been lax in complying with the commission’s orders,” Dhiman said. He added that the victim’s family has been provided financial aid of Rs 4,12,500 from the government through the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Courtesy : NAI Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsarenaindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP MLA protests after FIR against Dalit Muslim residents over ‘tree-cutting’ in Ayodhya
Ayodhya (UP), Oct 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh’s Rudauli BJP MLA Ramchandra Yadav staged a ‘dharna’ here after registration of a criminal case against six persons, including four Dalit and two Muslim, over alleged tree-cutting and “stealing of wood”. The protest, staged in front of the Nagar Panchayat office in Rudauli tehsil on Wednesday, later ended following the “assurance” of appropriate action by Circle Officer (CO) Ashish Nigam. Nagar Panchayat Executive Officer Nikhilesh Mishra said preparations were underway for the upcoming ‘Jhalkari Bai Jayanti’ celebration on November 22, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been invited as the chief guest. During the cleaning work around the Nagar Panchayat premises, a tree was allegedly cut down, following which Mishra lodged a complaint on October 5 at the Baba Bazar police station. SHO Shailendra Kumar Azad said, “The case was registered against six persons, identified as Nishu Ahmad, Aabid Abdul, Lal Bahadur, Ramroop, Siyaram, and Navmi Lal on charges of stealing wood. The matter is under investigation.” Yadav and district BJP general secretary Radhey Shyam Tyagi said they had already apprised Chief Minister Adityanath about the matter, yet an FIR was registered against members of the Kori community. Meanwhile, Ayodhya District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde has transferred Rudauli Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Dhar Dubey to Sohawal tehsil, following Yadav’s meeting with the chief minister. Angry BJP workers demanded that the administration withdraw the case and take action against those responsible, with Yadav warning that it would be resumed if the FIR was not withdrawn. However, reacting to the protest, BJP district spokesperson Rajneesh Singh said, “Those who staged a dharna against the administration were completely wrong. They should have raised their concerns within the party forum. I demand that the party’s state president and disciplinary committee issue show-cause notices and take action against them.” (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Courtesy : TW Note: This news is originally published on https:/theweek.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Lack of inclusivity prompts transgender electors to mull election boycott
Patna: Transgender voters in the city have threatened to boycott the upcoming assembly elections, citing a lack of inclusive measures by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Community activists argue that despite legal protections to them under the Transgender Persons Act, 2019, they continue to face stigma, misrepresentation, and logistical barriers that prevent them from exercising their democratic rights. With only 4.17% turnout recorded in the 2020 assembly elections and a glaring mismatch between registered and actual transgender voters, the activists claim that the ECI’s current approach fails to recognise the dignity and identity of thousands of them. Although Patna district lists 156 registered transgender voters across 14 constituencies, the community members estimate their actual number to be around 7,000, highlighting a significant discrepancy in official records. Rajan Singh, member of the Bihar state Kinnar Kalyan Board, Govt of Bihar, criticised the ECI over this negligence. “As of now, nothing has been done to increase inclusivity of transgender — no trans icon, no separate polling booth or queue or bathroom, for our community at polling booths,” he said. “Would you tell a female to stand in a male queue?” Singh reiterated. In addition, the community is dismayed by the absence of a visible ‘trans icon’ for these assembly polls. Although an ECI official mentioned Monica Das, a previous icon for this year poll. However, Das contradicted the statement, confirming that they are not the official trans-icon for this elections. Highlighting further identity issues, Priti Kinnar, a transgender candidate from the Jan Suraaj party in the Bhorey constituency of Gopalganj, is listed as a male candidate in official documents. Singh believes it is the ECI’s responsibility to correct this error and uphold the candidate’s true identity. Anupriya, a member of the Kinnar Kalyan Board and a prominent trans rights activist, shed light on the challenges faced by the transgender community. They pointed out the lack of access to essential social entitlements and the prevalence of voter IDs that still reflect outdated or incorrect names and identities—often referred to as “dead names.” Anupriya emphasised that the community often lacks the resources and digital literacy needed to navigate online registration systems, making targeted Aadhaar and voter ID drives crucial. While stressing that boycotting elections is not the goal, the board member added, “Every vote matters. Voting is the most fundamental right in a democracy, and our community wants to exercise it. We hope that the next govt will ensure equal provisions and recognition for men, women, and transgender alike.” The ECI and district administration are conducting SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) initiative to increase trans participation, but no other specific provisions are in place. The community questions, “If PWD can have the provision of voting from home, then why can’t transgender people have the same? That will help them fight the stigma and exercise their voting rights at the same time.” Lack of inclusivity prompts transgender electors to mull election boycott 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
Tensions in Indore transgender dera: How feud between 2 factions turned violent; mass suicide bid stuns city
INDORE: About 24 transgenders consumed floor cleaner in an apparent mass suicide bid at Nandlalpura dera during a protest on Wednesday night. They were rushed to MY Hospital, where doctors claimed they were out of danger. It was not clear what the motive behind the act was, but the protest erupted hours after a case of assault and criminal intimidation was registered against a man who claimed to be a journalist and allegedly forced himself on a trans person. Police couldn’t confirm why the transgenders protested till last reports. The transgenders later gathered outside MY Hospital, where a group of them again attempted suicide by pouring inflammable substances over themselves. Hundreds of transgenders protest at MYH, Nandlalpura Even a few journalists, including ToI’s photojournalist Praveen Barnale, were doused with kerosene during the chaotic events as the transgenders poured the inflammable liquid on themselves in a mass self-immolation attempt. “We received inputs about a commotion at the transgenders’ dera (gathering) in Nandlalpura, following which a team was rushed to the spot. Twenty-four members of the transgender community consumed a suspicious substance, which appeared to be a floor cleaner. They were rushed to the hospital in ambulances and police vehicles, where their condition was stated to be stable. We are yet to record statements of the victims, after which the reason behind this will be clear,” DCP Anand Kaldagi told ToI. Preliminary reports suggest that the protests stemmed from a complex sequence of events that started with a clash between two transgender communities. This led to allegations of religious conversions as well an accusation against the self-proclaimed journalist that sought sexual favours from a trans person. DCP Kaldagi, however, said the protest had nothing to do with that incident. However, the exact cause could not be ascertained as the transgenders turned their ire on media persons. CCTV footage purportedly showing the transgenders sitting in a room and consuming the floor cleaner together also emerged, and later went viral on social media. The police released a press note saying the reasons behind the protest or the suicide attempts haven’t been determined yet. “All affected persons were admitted to MY Hospital, where they are receiving treatment under the close supervision of both police and health officials. All senior officials, including Additional DCP Dishesh Agarwal and ACP (Sanyogitaganj), were present at the site, and the Chief Medical and Health Officer was instructed to ensure proper medical care for everyone,” the release stated. It added that the district and police administrations were put on high alert following the incident. Collector Shivam Verma was closely monitoring the situation and taking constant updates. SDM Pradeep Soni, Tehsildar, CMHO Dr Hasani, and senior doctors at MY Hospital were overseeing and monitoring the treatment of all patients. Meanwhile, the protest by transgenders continued till late night, and hundreds of them gathered at Nandlalpura and at MY Hospital, staging a demonstration and raising slogans. They also attacked media persons who tried to approach them. Videos of messages from the transgender community across the country, including UP, suggested that they were planning to reach Indore to support the agitation. The dispute stemmed from a long-running clash over property and leadership between two factions of the transgender community. The factions led by Payal Guru and Seema Guru clashed multiple times in recent months over the control of leadership. To address the ongoing tension, Police Commissioner Santosh Singh, earlier, constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Initially, the team was headed by DCP Rishikesh Meena, but following his transfer, the investigation stalled. Recently, members of both factions accused each other of misconduct, and the group even staged a protest outside the Annapurna police station. 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
BJP women leaders join BRS in Telangana
Hyderabad: Some BJP woman leaders, including state executive member Kalavati, B Lakshmi, Sailaja, RK Lakshmi, Anuradha, Manjula and Satyavati, along with 200 others joined BRS in the presence of former minister T Harish Rao at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Harish Rao said both BJP and Congress betrayed the Telangana people and did not keep their promises. He mentioned that Rahul Gandhi accuses vote theft in Bihar. “Why is he silent about Revanth Reddy’s alleged vote theft in Jubilee Hills? Doesn’t Rahul Gandhi have the responsibility to ensure Revanth Reddy acts honestly?” he asked. Harish Rao stated that both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi promised to implement six guarantees within 100 days, but they were nowhere to be seen. He said BRS is Telangana’s own party, and thanks to KCR and the pink party, Hyderabad’s brand image improved. 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
‘Frightened of…’: Rahul Gandhi targets PM after Trump claims India won’t buy Russian oil
Taking to X, the Congress MP accused the prime minister of being afraid of Trump and the US Following US president Donald Trump’s claim of India’s assurance to not purchase Russian oil, Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to X on Thursday, the Congress MP accused the prime minister of being afraid of Trump and the US. In his post, Gandhi claimed that PM Modi is “frightened of Trump” after he “allowed” the US president to “decide and announce that India will not buy Russian oil.” The Congress leader added that Modi also “keeps sending congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs”. Gandhi’s post on X comes after Donald Trump claimed PM Modi had given him “assurance” that India will no longer purchase Russian oil. “I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, adding that he shares a “great relationship” with PM Modi. The US President added that after India, he would now “get China to do the same thing.” India’s purchase of Russian oil has been the headlines since August, after Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on New Delhi as a penalty. With this additional amount, Trump’s tariffs on India went up to a total of 50 percent. In response to the additional levies, PM Modi stated that he would not compromise on the livelihood of farmers, even if it meant “paying a heavy price”. Furthermore, the prime minister also renewed his push for “Make in India” and “self-reliance.” “We should become self-reliant – not out of desperation, but out of pride,” said Modi in his speech for Independence Day from the Red Fort. “Economic selfishness is on the rise globally and we mustn’t sit and cry about our difficulties, we must rise above and not allow others to hold us in their clutches,” he added further. ‘56-inch chest has shrunk’ says Congress Adding to Rahul Gandhi’s remark, Congress’ general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X and claimed that the prime minister’s ‘56-inch chest has shrunk and shriveled”, referring to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark in 2019 where he said PM Modi is a man with a “56-inch chest” by destroying terrorist hideouts in Pakistan. “At 5:37 PM Indian Standard Time on May 10, 2025, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the very first to announce that India has halted Operation Sindoor,” said Ramesh, adding that Trump has claimed 51 times in five countries that it was his intervention which halted Operation Sindoor. Ramesh added that with Trump’s latest statement, the prime minister has “outsourced key decisions to America.” Courtesy : HT Note: This news is originally published on https:/hindustantimes.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Woman booked for abetting suicide of her Dalit lover
Rajkot: Police at Sikka in Jamnagar district registered an FIR against an upper caste woman, Dipali Sonchatra, for allegedly abetting the suicide of her lover, Ashwin Parmar, who was from a scheduled caste and was in a relationship with her for about six years. It was alleged that she harassed him and abused him due to his caste. Police booked Sonchatra for abetment to suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on a complaint from Hasmukh Parmar, the brother of the deceased. The FIR states that Dipali was in a relationship with Ashwin for five or six years. He wanted to marry her, but she was allegedly avoiding marrying him due to them being from different castes. Hasmukh alleged that Dipali harassed Ashwin and insulted him over his caste. This humiliation led Ashwin to drink acid on Aug 30, which caused his death on Sep 3. Hasmukh stated that he did not initially file a complaint, but after recovering his brother’s phone, he found conversations in which Dipali allegedly made casteist remarks and harassed Ashwin. He then approached police with the evidence. Hasmukh also named three friends of Ashwin’s, who could corroborate the charge that Dipali had been insulting Ashwin due to his caste, which drove him to commit suicide. Police said they have gathered electronic evidence and are investigating the matter. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit boy’s suicide: HC rejects pre-arrest bail to Rohru woman; says prima facie reading of case shows she gave beatings to deceased
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh high court on Tuesday dismissed the pre-arrest bail petition of the woman who is accused of abetting the suicide of 12-year-old Dalit boy of her village by allegedly confining him wrongfully and assaulting him. The upper-caste woman, Pushpa Devi (50), is from Limbra village in the Rohru sub-division of Shimla district. She is facing charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and for wrongful confinement, assault, and abetment to suicide. Dismissing the petition as not maintainable, the bench headed by Justice Rakesh Kainthla held, “A prima facie reading of the status report and FIR shows that the accused gave beatings to the deceased (a member of the scheduled caste) and confined him to the cowshed because the deceased happened to touch the house of the accused, and she wanted a sacrificial goat for purification.” The deceased boy belonged to the Koli community. The court underlined that this offence was committed by the accused because of the caste of the deceased and would not have been committed if the deceased had not been a member of the scheduled caste. Justice Kainthla held that it was not possible to conclude, at this stage, that the petitioner had not, prima facie, committed an offence punishable under Section 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. The court also upheld the objection taken by additional advocate general Jitender Sharma that the pre-arrest bail petition is not maintainable in view of the bar contained in Section 18 of the SC and ST Act. The case has sparked outrage, highlighting ongoing caste-based discrimination and abuse especially in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh. The police complaint filed by the deceased boy’s father states that the boy died by suicide on September 17, allegedly after consuming poison. He was reportedly harassed and locked in a cowshed by Pushpa Devi the previous evening, Sept 16. The high court had earlier, on Sept 25, ordered the release of the petitioner on interim bail until further orders, considering that she is a woman and is entitled to special consideration. Until then, Police Station Chirgaon had not added Sections 3(2)(v) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the FIR registered on Sept 20. These sections were added later based on the investigation. The bench also noted that the accused also gave an interview to a local news media channel on Oct 1, in which she admitted that she confined the deceased boy inside her cowshed and stated that she would have not released him until the goat was given to her. “Chain Ram, Kardar made a statement about the caste prejudices prevalent against members of the scheduled caste, like ‘Koli’, who are treated as untouchable and not allowed to enter the house,” observed the court. 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