Rahul meets Punjab Congress’ top leaders amid speculations of organisational change; calls for unity
According to the leaders, Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one meetings with each of them, to get their views on the roadmap in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls. Amid speculations of an organisational restructuring in Punjab Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met top leaders of the state unit and urged them to fight the upcoming Assembly elections collectively, stressing that the party has a “very good chance” to win. Punjab goes to polls early next year. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, senior leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla met Rahul Gandhi at 10, Janpath, Sonia Gandhi’s residence. “I put forward my viewpoint on what is best for the party, and I’ve said whatever decision you (Rahul Gandhi) take, we will stand by that. We are committed soldiers of the Congress. Our families have sacrificed for the interest of Punjab, for the unity and integrity of this nation,” Bajwa told reporters after the meeting. “The leadership decision is with Rahul, whatever position he may give or not give, we stand by him,” Bajwa asserted. Gandhi met the five leaders one-on-one separately to get their views on the roadmap in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls, according to the leaders who met Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi’s message was, ‘You have to fight collectively, Punjab is an important state, and we stand a very good chance.’ The leaders shared their views on the leadership issue and the best way forward. Basically, he stressed that we must protect Punjab’s interests,” a source privy to the meetings said. Earlier this month, the Congress named Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav as All India Congress Committee observers to assess and submit a report on the current political scenario in Punjab. They submitted their report to the high command. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Shashi Tharoor’s praise for PM Modi sparks political slugfest
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed India’s concerns to US President Donald Trump regarding the safety of civilian sailors has earned him the ire of his party. “Admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world” and he now “seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say”, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in response to queries regarding Tharoor’s remarks which were at odds with leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that PM had not taken up with Trump the issue of deaths of three Indian seafarers who were killed by the US navy after their Palau-flagged ship breached the US-imposed naval blockade. Tharoor responded on X that he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was “being twisted into a partisan political controversy”. Tharoor’s statement saying that the PM had raised the issue of Indian seafarers with the US President, led BJP to take a dig at Rahul Gandhi. “Dr Shashi Tharoor contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the same issue…” party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said. “Not just that, Tharoor has effusively praised PM Modi’s vision, articulation, dynamism and oratory. He has said Modi has left a stamp on the lives of Indians,” he added. 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
Tiruchy MGMGH to recruit transgender staff, forms eight-member panel to boost clinic infra
MGMGH Dean S Kumaravel convened a meeting on Friday with members of the transgender community and an eight-member expert committee constituted to study their needs. TIRUCHY: Days after trans persons raised concerns over inadequate facilities at the transgender person clinic in Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), the hospital has decided to appoint a member of the community to work at the clinic and ward, and also changed the OP services to Monday. The decision comes following a TNIE report on June 18 highlighting grievances raised by trans persons, including the lack of a separate toilet and inadequate infrastructure at the clinic. MGMGH Dean S Kumaravel convened a meeting on Friday with members of the community and an eight-member expert committee constituted to study their needs. He said, “A trans person willing to take up the responsibility would be employed at the clinic and ward to assist patients and help the administration better understand issues faced by the community.” The hospital has officially formed the committee to recommend measures for improving facilities and services for trans persons. The members are expected to visit the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai to study the facilities available before submitting its recommendations. In another measure, the trans persons clinic’s outpatient timings have also been revised. The clinic will now function on Mondays from 9 am to 11 am. Earlier the clinic functioned on Wednesdays. The dean said, “All experts will be available in the clinic to address health-related queries and concerns of the community.” During Friday’s meeting, trans persons reiterated concerns over the absence of dedicated toilets and other infrastructure gaps at the hospital. Participants said the interaction provided an opportunity to directly place their demands before the administration. “We explained the difficulties faced by trans persons visiting the clinic and requested better facilities. The dean and committee members listened to our concerns and assured us that steps would be taken,” said Oviya, a trans person activist who attended the meeting. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Horror killing: Sister strangled to death; brother was angry over her eloping and marrying a Dalit boy.
When the husband was released from jail, he released a video demanding the arrest of his wife’s killers, prompting the police to launch an investigation. The girl’s brother was taken into custody and questioned, leading to the discovery of the murder. Reported by: In the Siwaipatti police station area of Muzaffarpur, a girl’s love marriage with a Dalit boy proved costly. Her brother Abhishek Kumar strangled her to death. When the police took the accused into custody and interrogated him, he confessed to the crime and explained the reason for the murder. The police arrested the accused brother and his accomplice and sent them to jail. Love Marriage with a Dalit Man The woman’s brother, Abhishek Kumar Yadav, told the police that his sister was in love with a Dalit man and had eloped with him and married him, leaving him deeply hurt and angry. When the man went to jail and the court sent the woman to her aunt’s house, the woman’s mother persuaded her to return home on Holi. Then, her brother, along with other relatives and associates, strangled the woman to death. The body was then cremated. The girl ran away from home in January. Gauri Shankar Kumar (22), son of Raju Ram, a resident of Ghansaut village, had been in a relationship with Sujata Kumari, a resident of Kodaria Gosaipur, since 2020. The girl was studying at her maternal uncle’s house in Ghansaut village. It was there that Sujata met Gauri Shankar and they would communicate. On January 18, 2026, they ran away from home. The girl’s family filed a police report. Gauri Shankar arrested from Haryana Gauri Shankar and Sujata got married at their friend’s house in Samastipur. On January 20, they moved to Haryana and began living there. Police arrested them on February 11 and brought them to Bihar on February 12. After presenting them in court, the man was sent to jail, and the girl was sent to her aunt’s house. After being released from jail, Gauri Shankar spoke to Sujata for the last time on the phone. After that, when he couldn’t hear from her, he went to the police and filed a complaint. When his complaint was not heard, he released a video and threatened suicide. Subsequently, the police became active, detained the woman’s brother, and began questioning him. The police uncovered the murder. Mani Bhushan Sharma, Correspondent, Muzaffarpur Edited by : Upendra Singh, Bihar Courtesy : Hindi News
A Dalit youth was brutally murdered by slitting his throat in Sant Kabir Nagar; an angry mob set the main accused’s house on fire.
A Dalit youth was brutally murdered in Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, for protesting against molestation. An enraged mob set the house of the main accused, Nasir, on fire. Uttar Pradesh: The Bakhira area of Sant Kabir Nagar district was gripped by intense tension on Friday. A day earlier, on Thursday, a 29-year-old Dalit youth was brutally murdered by slitting his throat with a sharp-edged weapon. The horrific incident sent shockwaves through the area, and angry villagers staged a protest by placing the body on the road. The situation escalated to the point where the angry mob, demanding justice, set the main accused’s house on fire. According to police, the deceased, Anand Kumar, a resident of Kolki village, was a tile-layer. On Thursday, while he was returning home, he was ambushed by the attackers near Babhani intersection. The accused brutally slit Anand’s throat and fled the scene. As news of the murder spread, the victim’s family and villagers erupted in anger, blocking the road for several hours. Initial investigations have revealed that the murder stems from a dispute that occurred approximately 10 days ago. Police say that during a function, Anand’s niece complained that the main accused, Nasir Ali, had molested her. Angered by this, Anand confronted Nasir, leading to a scuffle. It is believed that the murder was orchestrated to avenge this rivalry. An FIR has been registered at the Bakhira police station against three people, including Nasir Ali. One of the accused remains unidentified. Police have formed several teams to apprehend the killers. Since the incident, the accused and his family have fled their homes to neighboring villages. A heavy police force has been deployed to prevent any untoward incidents and maintain peace in the area. Additional Director General of Police (ADG) of Gorakhpur Zone, Mutha Ashok Jain, stated that the situation is currently under control and a vigorous search for the accused is underway. When the mob set the accused’s house on fire on Friday, senior police and administrative officials immediately arrived at the scene. They spoke with the victim’s family and villagers and calmed them down. The family’s clear demand was that the accused be arrested as soon as possible, given severe punishment, and that their house be demolished. Only after the administration provided firm assurances of a fair investigation and prompt legal action did the protesters decide to end their protest. Following this, the administration took possession of the body and sent it for post-mortem, and the family performed Anand’s last rites on Friday itself. This single incident has forever devastated a happy family. Anand leaves behind his wife and two innocent children, the youngest of whom is just three months old. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
A case of molestation and assault of a Dalit woman in Asandra: FIR filed on court orders, neighbor accused of filling water from a government tap
A case of molestation, assault, and caste-related abuse of a Dalit woman has come to light in the Asandra police station area of Barabanki district. The police did not take action against the accused, prompting the victim to file a petition in court. On Friday night, the police registered a case of assault and under the Harijan Act. In the petition filed with the court, the victim, from the Asandra police station area, stated that on the evening of May 30th, she had gone to fill water and wash clothes at the government tap in front of her house. When her neighbor, Narendra Verma, arrived and began making obscene remarks to her, she objected. According to the victim, Narendra Verma became enraged. He hurled caste-related abuse at her and pushed her to the ground. When she ran inside to save her life, the accused, Narendra Verma, also entered the house after her. He tore her clothes and beat her with kicks, punches, and sticks. Hearing the woman’s screams, her sister-in-law and other neighbors rushed to the scene. Seeing the neighbors approach, the accused, Narendra Verma, threatened to kill the victim and her family and fled. Following the incident, the victim called 112 and complained about filing a report at the police station. However, the victim alleges that the police, under the influence of the accused, did not take appropriate action. The victim approached the court for justice. On Friday night, on the orders of the court, Asandra Police Station Officer Anil Singh filed a case against the accused, Narendra Verma, under sections 333, 76, 115, 352, 351 of the Indian Penal Code, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. The case is being investigated by CO Ramsanehi Ghat, Saurabh Srivastava. Neeraj Shukla | Haidergarh, Barabanki Courtesy: Hindi News
Thirty years on, justice remains elusive for Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana
A chapter in a major 30-year review of the PoA Act argues that institutional failures, rather than legislative gaps, remain the biggest obstacle to justice Thirty years after Parliament enacted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, a landmark review of the law has concluded that the promise of justice for Dalits and Adivasis remains far from realised. Published by the Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation (HRF), The Elusive Search for Justice: 30 Year Review of the SCs & STs (PoA) Act brings together the work of former civil servants, lawyers, academics, human rights defenders and Dalit rights activists to assess how India’s principal anti-atrocities legislation has functioned over three decades. Across its chapters, the report paints a troubling picture of rising atrocities, persistently low conviction rates, and poor implementation of victim compensation schemes, weak monitoring mechanisms, and widespread institutional failures that continue to undermine access to justice. The report’s central conclusion is that while Parliament has repeatedly strengthened the law through amendments and expanded protections for victims, the institutions responsible for implementing these safeguards have largely failed to match the law’s ambition. Among the most revealing contributions to the volume is a chapter by activist, writer and human rights defender Vidya Bhushan Rawat, who examines the functioning of the Act in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana. While the broader report identifies national trends of weak implementation and institutional apathy, Rawat’s chapter shows how these failures manifest on the ground, in police stations, district administrations, courts and villages across northern India. Unlike chapters that focus on legislative history or national statistics, Rawat’s contribution is rooted in lived experiences. Drawing on field investigations, case studies, Right to Information disclosures and years of engagement with Dalit communities, he examines the obstacles faced by survivors seeking justice under the PoA Act. Rawat’s account suggests that the greatest barriers often emerge not in the courtroom but much earlier, at the stages of complaint registration, investigation and administrative response. Rawat’s central argument is that the crisis confronting the PoA Act is no longer one of legislative inadequacy. Over three decades, Parliament has progressively strengthened the law, expanded the list of recognised offences, enhanced victim protections and introduced new accountability mechanisms. Yet the effectiveness of these provisions ultimately depends upon the willingness of police officers, prosecutors, district administrations and local governments to enforce them. It is at this level, he argues, that the law repeatedly breaks down. The result is a system in which the formal existence of legal rights often bears little resemblance to the realities experienced by Dalit survivors attempting to access protection, accountability and justice. The hidden crisis behind atrocity statistics Rawat begins by challenging a common assumption that official crime statistics adequately capture the scale of caste violence. For many observers, NCRB data provides the principal measure of atrocities committed against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Rawat argues that these figures reveal only a fraction of the reality. The larger problem, he suggests, lies in the vast number of incidents that never enter official records at all. Across Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states, Dalit complainants frequently encounter resistance at the very first stage of the criminal justice process. Police officials may refuse to register FIRs under the PoA Act, dilute charges, classify incidents as ordinary criminal disputes, or encourage parties to arrive at informal compromises. In many villages, survivors must navigate local power structures before they can even reach a police station. The consequence is that official statistics may reflect only those cases that successfully overcome multiple layers of institutional resistance. Rawat argues that any assessment of the PoA Act that relies exclusively on registered cases risks overlooking the structural barriers that prevent countless incidents from being formally recognised as atrocities in the first place. Uttar Pradesh: The limits of legal protection Among the three states examined, Uttar Pradesh occupies a central place in Rawat’s analysis. The state has long recorded some of the highest numbers of crimes against Scheduled Castes in the country. Yet Rawat contends that these figures tell only part of the story. The deeper problem lies in the persistent inability of victims to secure meaningful justice after a case is reported. According to the chapter, many police officials continue to approach caste atrocities through the lens of local disputes rather than recognising them as manifestations of entrenched social discrimination. Complaints are often discouraged, investigations delayed, and statutory provisions under the PoA Act either ignored or improperly applied. Rawat argues that this administrative response reflects a broader reluctance within state institutions to confront caste power directly. Rather than functioning as neutral enforcers of the law, institutions frequently mirror the social hierarchies that the legislation was intended to challenge. The Case of Shivam: A child, a crushed arm, and a system that failed To illustrate these dynamics, Rawat recounts the case of Shivam, an eight-year-old Dalit child from Jaunpur district whose arm was allegedly crushed in a sugarcane-crushing machine owned by an upper-caste family in December 2015. The incident should have triggered an immediate legal response. Instead, according to the account presented in the chapter, the family encountered resistance from law-enforcement authorities when they sought to pursue the matter. Efforts to register a complaint were allegedly met with indifference, while those assisting the family reportedly faced hostility from officials. What makes the case particularly significant for Rawat is not merely the injury itself but the social environment surrounding it. The family belonged to a community economically dependent upon dominant-caste landowners. Villagers were reportedly unwilling to speak openly about the incident, fearing repercussions. The imbalance of power was such that even seeking justice carried social and economic risks. Ultimately, concerns for safety and survival reportedly forced the family to leave the village. For Rawat, the episode demonstrates how caste violence cannot be understood solely as a criminal act. It is sustained by relationships of economic dependence, social exclusion and institutional indifference that make accountability exceptionally difficult to achieve. Hundreds of cases, no convictions Perhaps the
Krishna Lanka CI Case: Dalit Youth’s Father Seeks Justice Over
Suicide He urged Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and other officials to respond immediately to the incident and sought an investigation to ensure justice for his son. Venkateswara Rao also denied allegations that he had compromised with the police. Vijayawada: The alleged disappearance of G Sai Krishna, whose mother accused Vijayawada’s Krishna Lanka police CI Nagaraju of torturing her son to death and then secretly cremating his body without the knowledge of family members, has created a sensation in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In the lines of this case, a selfie video surfaced of a Dalit man, Perupogu Kranthi Kumar, who alleged that he was tortured by the tainted CI Nagaraju and was taking his life, unable to bear the harassment. The incident took place on May 21 Perupogu Venkateswara Rao Madiga, the father of the deceased, who is the AP MRPS State President, has appealed to AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to order an inquiry and take action against the former CI, alleging that his son committed suicide due to the CI’s actions. Speaking to the media at the Vijayawada Press Club on Friday, he also made some allegations about how the police system worked and said that some police officials turn rowdy-sheeters into informants for personal gain and subject individuals to torture using “third-degree” methods if they do not comply with their demands. He also stated that police harassment on the grounds of caste-based slurs came to light only because his son had recorded a selfie video before his suicide, mentioning that since he was a Dalit, he was being subjected to harassment. He urged Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and other officials to respond immediately to the incident and sought an investigation to ensure justice for his son. Venkateswara Rao also denied allegations that he had compromised with the police and accepted Rs 10 lakhs. The suspended inspector has been charged with wrongful confinement, murder and destruction of evidence under the BNS Act, and a high-level team is currently conducting a comprehensive investigation into the case. Courtesy : Deccan Chronicle Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanchronicle.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
30-year-old Dalit man beheaded in UP’s Sant Kabir Nagar
According to the police, the murder was the result of that personal rivalry. LUCKNOW: A 30-year-old Dalit man was brutally beheaded with a sword at a market square in Sant Kabir Nagar, in eastern UP, allegedly to avenge a slap five days earlier. The victim had confronted and slapped the accused after he allegedly molested his niece during a wedding ceremony. According to the police, the murder was the result of that personal rivalry. Meanwhile, enraged villagers started protesting by blocking the road at the Babhani intersection. During this, the shop and house of the accused Nasir were set on fire. The incident took place late on Thursday night in the Bakhira police station area, around 28 km from the district headquarters. Victim Anand, a resident of Kolki Chamarsan village in the Bakhira police station area, was returning home when the accused, Nasir Ali (18), a resident of a nearby village, along with four accomplices, allegedly surrounded him and attacked him with a sword. The blow to his throat was so severe that Anand, who used to work as a tile layer in Chennai, died on the spot. Eyewitness and the deceased’s cousin, Rohit, stated that Anand had come to Babhani Chowk around 7 PM to deliver a machine. After delivering the machine, he bought some items and stayed at the chowk for a long time. Then, late at night, he was returning home. Police from three police stations reached the spot after receiving information. SP Sandeep Kumar Meena and CO also arrived with force. They pacified and calmed down the angry villagers. Late at 11 PM, ADG Ashok Mutha Jain, DIG Sanjeev Tyagi, and DM Alok Kumar also reached the spot. Police have deployed several teams in search of the main accused, Nasir Ali and his associates. It is being told that there is a distance of about two kilometres between Nasir’s and Anand’s houses. When the police started taking the body for a post-mortem, angry family members tried to stop the ambulance and scuffled with the police. Meanwhile, on Friday, a large number of women came out on the streets carrying sticks in protest and demanded the encounter of the accused. “My husband was brutally murdered. We want life for a life, nothing less than that,” said the wife of the deceased. Currently, based on the complaint of the deceased’s father, the police have registered a case against four accused, including three named individuals. The accused include Nasir and Nirhu, residents of Kusumha village in Bakheera police station area, Jaigam, a resident of Jivdhara village, and one other unknown person. Anand got married around seven years ago. Besides his wife, he has two daughters. The elder daughter, Ananya, is three years old, while the younger daughter, Aradhya, is six months old. Anand was the youngest of three brothers. According to family members, he had come home from Chennai on May 6 and was preparing to return a few days later. ADG Ashok Mutha Jain said that the victim had stopped in the market to buy goods. During that time, he was murdered by slitting his throat. In the initial investigation, a case of dispute at a wedding ceremony had come to light. Several police teams were continuously conducting raids to arrest the accused. The police tried to pacify the villagers, but they did not agree. Women started banging sticks in front of the police. They started pushing and shoving. The police used force to snatch the sticks from the women. Seeing the anger of the villagers, the police swiftly took bulldozer action on the main accused Nasir’s barber shop and his associates’ chicken shop on Friday afternoon. The police demolished all three temporary shops. Namita Bajpai Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Ensure there are no glitches, students been through enough stress’: Rahul Gandhi to govt ahead of Sunday’s NEET re-exam
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday shared a message for students and the govt ahead of NEET re-exam on Sunday. “To everybody taking the Re-NEET exam, hope you have a really wonderful, excellent exam and all of you do well. Remember we’re with you. We want to look after you, protect you and make sure that you have brilliant future. Love all of you,” he said addressing the aspirants. Then he directed the next part to the Prime Minister and to the government saying, “Please ensure that there are no glitches this time. The students have been through enough stress and they really cannot afford to go through it again.” Earlier in the day, Rahul had spoken about NEET, with reference to a reports about a Nagpur student being assigned centre in Abu Dhabi. “How did this even happen? Yesterday, no student should have had any complaint about not being able to reach their center. The NTA is actually just testing the patience of the country’s children and their parents. A system that can’t provide a center in a child’s own city but can send them abroad instead—it has no right to conduct exams,” he said. However, NTA later gave a clarifications aying that the student himself chose it as the option from the applicant login. Read more: NTA says Nasik candidate himself selected Abu Dhabi option 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