A young man who went to meet a girl in Tehri was beaten to death and died in the hospital. Where is society heading?
Ketan Lal, who went to meet a girl in Tehri, was beaten to death and then died in the hospital, raising the issue. Dehradun: The recent murder of a Dalit youth in Tehri, Uttarakhand, has shocked everyone. The youth was beaten so badly that he died. His only crime was to meet a minor girl, but he paid the price with his life. The brutality inflicted on the youth sent shivers down everyone’s spine. A video of the youth screaming for water before his death has surfaced, which is spine-chilling in itself. Currently, police have arrested two more accused in the case of the death of Dalit youth Ketan Lal in Kholgarh village, Lambgaon police station area. Two other accused were previously handcuffed. This brings the total number of arrests to four. Following this incident, an atmosphere of anger, concern, and a demand for justice has prevailed throughout the region. Meanwhile, the police administration is working to piece together the story. Why was he subjected to such violence and what exactly happened? Let us explain. Ketan Lal had gone to meet a girl: It is being reported that Ketan Lal of Dewal village was friends with a girl. On the night of June 7-8, after receiving a call from the girl, he and his friend Diwakar Dimri rode a bike to Kholgarh village, but the girl’s father and relatives intercepted him there. It is also being said that the father may have sent the message from the girl’s mobile phone. This incident is also being alleged to have been due to caste-based love/friendship. Meanwhile, the girl’s father, brother, and others held Ketan Lal and his friend Diwakar hostage and beat them. It is being said that they beat him in front of the girl. Furthermore, in the morning, the accused themselves called Ketan’s father and told him everything. Following this, Ketan Lal’s father, Dhanpal Lal, went to the Lambgaon police station and filed a written complaint. In the complaint, he alleged that his son, Ketan Lal, and his friend, Diwakar Dimri, were brutally assaulted by some people. It was alleged that Yashveer Singh Panwar and other members of his family not only beat the two youths but also held them hostage in the house. The complaint also stated that the assault was so severe that Ketan Lal suffered serious injuries and his condition continued to deteriorate. Ketan Lal was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment by his family, but despite the best efforts of doctors, his life could not be saved. Ketan Lal died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. This incident shocked the entire area and the matter quickly became a topic of public discussion. A video of Ketan before his death also surfaced, in which he was writhing in pain, asking for water, saying, “I’m going to die, I’ve been beaten so badly…” Another youth’s hand fractured, hospital treatment ongoing: Ketan Lal wasn’t the only victim in the incident. Diwakar Dimri, who was with him, was also allegedly attacked. According to the complaint, the accused also severely assaulted Diwakar, resulting in serious injuries and a fractured hand. He is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital. Diwakar’s condition and his statements are also considered crucial to the police investigation. Investigating agencies are trying to determine the circumstances of the incident, the real reason for the dispute, and how the fight unfolded. Police believe that the statements of eyewitnesses and the injured youth will play a crucial role in uncovering the truth of the matter. Police’s swift action, arrests of accused continue: Tehri SSP Shweta Choubey says that given the seriousness of the case, police acted swiftly from the beginning. Two accused were arrested first. This includes the girl’s brother and father. Now, with the arrest of two more people, the police have clearly indicated that the investigation will not be allowed to falter at any level. They say that various aspects of the case are still being investigated. Further action will be taken based on evidence, medical reports, eyewitness accounts, and other available facts. If the role of other individuals is revealed during the investigation, legal action will be taken against them as well. The post-mortem report is currently awaited. Scheduled Caste Commission takes suo motu cognizance of the death of a Dalit youth: The incident has drawn the attention of not only the police administration but also state-level institutions. The Uttarakhand Scheduled Caste Commission, taking suo motu cognizance of the case, has deemed it a serious matter. The Commission has summoned a detailed report from the Tehri Senior Superintendent of Police and has pledged to monitor the progress of the investigation. A statement issued by the Commission stated that incidents of atrocity, violence, or discrimination against any person belonging to the Scheduled Caste community will be taken with utmost seriousness. The Commission also directed the police administration to ensure a fair, transparent, and timely investigation. Rajesh Singh Raja Koli, a member of the Uttarakhand Scheduled Castes Commission, expressed deep concern over the incident. “The Commission is working with utmost sensitivity in cases of atrocities, harassment, and discrimination against members of the Scheduled Caste community. The Commission will continuously monitor the situation to ensure strict legal action against the perpetrators.” – Rajesh Singh Raja Koli, Member, Uttarakhand Scheduled Caste Commission Furthermore, Rajesh Singh Raja Koli says that the law provides equal protection to all citizens and any form of caste discrimination or violence is against democratic values. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure justice in such cases. This is not just a crime, but also a warning to society: Social activist Anoop Nautiyal also described this incident as extremely sad and worrying. He says that this incident should not be seen only as a criminal act. Rather, it must also be understood as a reflection of larger social issues facing society. “Even after decades of independence, if incidents of caste-based tension, violence, and discrimination continue to surface in society, it is a matter for introspection. Society
Justice Balakrishnan Commission report on SC status for Dalit converts ready for submission
The Commission, set up in October 2022, has got several extensions; it was to study the discrimination faced by Dalit converts, their demand for SC status, the opposition to the demand, and the impact on existing SC communities The Justice (Retd.) K.G. Balakrishnan Commission examining the issue of Scheduled Caste status for Dalit converts has finished its study and prepared the report it was tasked with almost four years ago, The Hindu has learnt. The three-member Commission of Inquiry was constituted by the Union government in October 2022, just as the Supreme Court was about to resume hearing a batch of pleas that sought SC status for Dalit Muslims and Christians. The issue has been pending in the top court for 20 years now. The Commission’s mandate included examining whether SC status can be granted to Dalits who have converted to any faith other than those mentioned in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950. Currently, only Dalits of Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh faiths are entitled to an SC classification, unlike the Scheduled Tribe status, which does not have a religion criterion. Multiple extensions Nearly four years after the Commission was formed, officials aware of the matter said that the report has been prepared and is currently being readied in a “book format” for official submission. One official said that the Commission should be able to submit its report “in a few days”. The Commission was initially given a two-year deadline to finish its work and submit a report to the government. Since 2024, the Commission has been given multiple extensions, the last one in April this year, which set the latest deadline at June 10, 2026. Gazette records do not show any further extension granted to the Commission. Pending case According to the government, the Commission’s study was meant to look at the demand for SC status for Dalit converts, the opposition to this demand and its impact on existing SC communities, and the levels and types of discrimination faced by Dalit communities after they convert to other faiths. Even as a batch of petitions remains pending in the Supreme Court on the Constitutional question of whether Dalit Christians and Muslims can be granted SC status, the top court had recently ruled in the case of a Christian pastor from Andhra Pradesh that the religion bar as it exists for the SC classification was “absolute”. Notably, the Union Social Justice Ministry has made multiple submissions to the Supreme Court in these matters, arguing that the SC status should be denied to people who had converted to faiths like Islam and Christianity, citing the foreign origins of these religions, while the religions currently included are Indic in nature. Abhinay Lakshman Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit youth beaten to death in Barabanki: Dance was taking place on the road after a feast, brutally beaten for asking for way.
A Dalit youth died in a dispute over giving way in Azad Nagar Mirpur village, under the Mati police station area of Barabanki district. The family has alleged that the youth was beaten to death. The family has demanded strict action against the accused. The deceased has been identified as Durgesh Rawat, an electricity worker. According to the family, Durgesh was on his way to his aunt’s village in Mirpur late at night to pick up laborers to repair a high-tension line fault. After the feast, a DJ was playing on the road near Azad Nagar and some people were dancing, blocking the road. Durgesh asked the people present there to give way. This sparked an argument, which soon escalated into a physical altercation. The family alleges that Durgesh was brutally beaten, leaving him seriously injured. The injured Durgesh was taken to the Community Health Center, Deva, where doctors declared him dead. His family arrived at the hospital around 2 a.m. after receiving information from the hospital. The deceased’s family is demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits and justice. Mati Police Station in-charge Ajay Kumar Tripathi stated that the police have received information about the incident and are investigating the matter. He also stated that no written complaint has been received yet. According to the station in-charge, further legal action will be taken based on the receipt of the complaint and the investigation. The police are thoroughly investigating all aspects of the case and will take necessary action once the facts emerge. Sarfaraz Warasi | Barabanki Courtesy: Hindi News
Malout police arrest 7 in Jhorar Dalit youths assault case; 4 accused still at large
Victims were allegedly paraded semi-naked, tied to a tree and beaten over mobile phone theft allegations The Malout Sadar police have traced and arrested all seven unidentified people in the case relating to two Dalit youths, accused of snatching a mobile phone, who were allegedly paraded semi-naked, dragged through fields, tied to a tree and beaten by a group of people at Jhorar village in Muktsar district on Saturday afternoon. However, those already named in the FIR and yet to be arrested are Hardeep Singh, his father Avtar Singh, Rimpa Singh and Manpreet Singh, all residents of Jhorar village. Malout DSP Jaspal Singh said the arrested accused have been identified as Ram Chander, Ramesh Kumar, Hira Sahni, Basant Sahni, Ram Babu Sahni, Ram Bali Sahni and Varinder Sahni, all residents of Nepal, who were staying at co-accused Avtar Singh’s house in the village. The DSP said all seven accused have been sent to judicial custody. A case under various Sections of the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had earlier been registered against four accused and seven unidentified persons. Notably, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission had taken cognisance of the incident and sought a report from the district police in this regard. Article_Author Archit Watts Courtesy : The Tribune Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribune.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
2 more arrested in Dalit teen murder case
Dehradun: Two more accused were arrested in connection with the alleged murder of an 18-year-old Dalit boy in Tehri Garhwal district, police said on Thursday, taking the total number of arrests in the case to four. Ketan Lal was allegedly held captive and assaulted by family members of a minor upper-caste girl in Lambgaon area on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. His father alleged that nails were hammered into his son’s legs. The accused were allegedly angry over Lal’s friendship with the girl, who lived in a neighbouring village. Sumit Prasad, 21, a resident of Dhanyo village, and Sachin Panwar, 27, a resident of Kholgarh Walla village in Tehri Garhwal district, allegedly assisted the prime accused, Yashbir Singh Panwar, in assaulting Lal and his friend, Diwakar Dimri. Lal later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a local hospital on Monday morning. Tehri Garhwal SSP Shweta Chaubey told TOI, “The two were arrested based on Lal’s dying statement to his family and evidence collected during investigation. Panwar drove the pick-up truck used in the crime, while Prasad worked with Yashbir as a driver of an earth-moving machine. Earlier, Yashbir and his father, Vidyadutt, were arrested.” “A forensic team collected evidence from Yashbir’s house, where the accused had allegedly held Lal and his friend captive before assaulting them,” the SSP said. The incident came to light after Ketan’s father informed the police about the attack. An FIR was registered against Yashbir and unidentified others under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of BNS, along with section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act. 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
‘Equality Is Not a Luxury’: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over India’s Blood Donation Ban
A 2017 guideline permanently bars gay men, transgender persons and sex workers from donating blood in India. In March 2026, the Supreme Court signalled it would not intervene. We spoke to the petitioners, the lawyers and those living the exclusion. On March 13, 2026, Sharif Rangnekar attended a blood donation camp in his residential colony, organised by a young woman to address what everyone agreed was a real problem. India has an acute shortage of blood. Rangnekar, a petitioner in one of three Supreme Court cases seeking to lift the ban on blood donation by gay men, was glad the drive was happening. And then he felt something else entirely. “I was both happy, but I was also irked at that moment that I can’t participate,” he says. “Had I gone, no one would have stopped me. But when I raised this issue, that you’re doing a great thing, but unfortunately I can’t participate because I’m homosexual, some people expressed surprise. Some were unaware that there’s even a need for your blood to be tested before it is given to anyone.” What followed in that WhatsApp group was a microcosm of the larger national conversation: confusion, defensiveness, and one doctor who insisted the ban was simply a safeguard. “I said, safeguards are exactly what we’re asking for,” Rangnekar recalls. “This is not a safeguard. This is ensuring that we are banned, when there is technology in many parts of the world for safeguarding the interests of everyone.” India’s prohibition on blood donation by gay men, transgender persons and female sex workers is codified in Clauses 12 and 51 of the Guidelines for Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral, 2017, jointly issued by the National Blood Transfusion Council and NACO. Clause 12 classifies these groups as permanently “at risk.” Clause 51 mandates a lifetime deferral, no waiting period, no individual assessment, no path to eligibility. The logic dates to the AIDS epidemic of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Nearly five decades on, neither the science nor the testing technology is the same. The guidelines are. The legal challenge was brought as a PIL in 2021 by Thangjam Santa Singh, the Manipur-based transgender activist known as Santa Khurai, represented by senior advocate Jayna Kothari. Rangnekar and activist Harish Iyer subsequently filed related petitions. Together, the three cases challenge the blanket exclusion as a violation of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution. In May 2025, the Supreme Court directed the government to constitute an expert committee to review the policy. By August, the committee reported that the 2017 guidelines were “firmly rooted in national and international research.” On 13 March 2026, the Centre told the court that diluting the ban “would be injurious to public interest.” The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, appeared largely persuaded. The hearing’s most consequential moment was not a ruling but an observation. Chief Justice Kant asked Kothari: “Tell us one good reason that we should issue a direction. After all, there are millions and millions of poor people who take free blood facilities. They cannot afford private hospitals. If there is even a one per cent chance of infection, why should they suffer?” Kothari’s response was direct: all donated blood is tested before use, including for HIV, and Nucleic Acid Testing exists precisely to close the gap the government invokes. She also flagged the central inconsistency: a gay man in a monogamous relationship cannot donate blood, while a heterosexual man engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners faces no restriction at all. Advocate Rahul Sangwan, who has worked on the legal arguments in higher courts, puts the constitutional problem plainly: “The ban is not rationally connected to the objective of blood safety. It presumes that an entire class of people is unsafe, without any evidence tied to individual conduct. What this ban does is penalise people for their sexual orientation, which is intrinsically against the identity and dignity of an individual, as held in Navtej Singh Johar.” There was a second observation that provoked a sharper response. Reports from Live Law and Bar & Bench quoted the bench characterising the petition as a “luxury.” The framing drew immediate comparisons to 2013, when a previous bench described queer Indians as a “miniscule minority”, a formulation that preceded the recriminalisation of homosexuality under Section 377, and which the court itself repudiated in Navtej Singh Johar in 2018. Rangnekar was direct: “Is the shortage of blood an elite issue? The blood that we donate goes into a blood bank. After that, it doesn’t decide who it goes to based on caste or religion.” Sangwan was unequivocal: “Equality is not a luxury. Calling a petition that challenges identity-based exclusion a luxury petition trivialises the constitutional promise of equality.” The government’s case rests partly on the absence of Nucleic Acid Testing at most Indian blood banks, and a testing window of up to 33 days during which an infection may not be detectable. These are real limitations, but petitioners argue they indict the system, not the donors. “There is already contaminated blood in the system,” Harish Iyer, another petitioner at the Supreme Court, says. “There are cases of people getting contaminated blood; sometimes it’s not even checked. That is not because of anything other than the fact that we have not yet got a proper testing system in place. And knowing how governments work when systems don’t function properly, they would rather let people be ignorant and carry on with the bias.” A public health expert with fifteen years in HIV intervention programmes, trans, queer, and asked not to be named, offered a systemic critique: “When we look at trans people, trans women, hijra women especially, we look at them from the lens that they do sex work, they have STIs, they spread HIV. That gaze still continues in our programmes; it is evident from NACO’s guidelines, which mandate the permanent deferment of trans people on the basis of high-risk behaviour. We pick up one identity
Transgender rights: Heatwaves, identity laws deepen risks for trans Indians
The amended transgender law deepens the community’s climate vulnerability by making disaster relief harder to access The passage of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2026 poses an existential threat to trans persons in a rapidly warming India. This amendment strikes at the heart of the right of trans persons to self-perceived gender identity. By removing the erstwhile Section 4(1) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the newly passed amendment questions the very existence of trans persons and places them at the mercy of medical boards for state authentication of their identities to obtain legal documentation. This constitutes a direct violation of the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court in the case of National Legal Services Authority v. Unionof India (NALSA), which held that any person can assert their gender identity solely based on their psychological or social experience without the need to undergo medical gender-affirmative surgery. The implications of obliterating the right to self-perceived gender identity are especially severe in a country increasingly beset by erratic climatic events. This is because access to disaster relief and rehabilitation measures is often dependent upon legal identification in India. It is well documented that during climate-induced flooding in Assam in the year 2020, persons from the trans community were among the worst-hit. Despite possessing the right to self-perceived identity at that time, they faced immense discrimination. Many struggled to access government relief measures, primarily due to a lack of legal documentation and social stigma associated with their identity. By curtailing the right to self-determination, the 2026 Amendment may further obstruct transgender persons from accessing shelter schemes such as Garima Grehs during climate disasters and in ordinary times alike. This becomes a Sisyphean endeavour, particularly when trans persons seek identity certificates required under the amended law. Consequently, it can be safely stated that the 2026 Amendment is both climate- and identification-blind. The vulnerability heightened by the 2026 Amendment is not confined to flood-related disasters alone but extends to broader climateinduced crises such as recurring heatwaves. In 2026, heatwaves are affecting states including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar. Incidentally, led by Uttar Pradesh, these states also have a high population of trans communities. Heatwaves are particularly debilitating for the trans community because of their heightened social and economic precarity, especially in relation to accessing safe and climateresilient housing and consequent social affirmation. Pushed to the peripheries of the cities, trans communities who are estranged from their families are mostly compelled to reside in the most unsafe and disaster-prone areas. These are typically low-lying, peri-urban areas or slum settlements that also lack basic sustenance facilities. In this context, the 2026 Amendment appears particularly apathetic because minimal protection from heat, such as access to shelter schemes like Garima Greh (which provide food, medical assistance, and recreational facilities), is now contingent upon producing transgender identity certificates under the amended law. Left on policy’s margins Extreme heat exposure creates a multiplier effect on their vulnerability, making them more prone to heat-related illnesses. This is also mainly due to the lack of gender-neutral washrooms, which force trans communities to either confront violence and gender dysphoria daily or risk disease. Lacking adequate access to dignified housing settlements, these communities also face a severe shortage of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure, which is particularly crucial during heat waves. This impacts their hydration and sanitation facilities, further undermining their ability to cope with extreme temperatures. Ironically, despite representative numbers and heightened vulnerabilities, trans communities are rarely accounted for as vulnerable populations in heat action or climate action plans, which are the primary policy-guiding documents for a city’s or state’s climate action. These plans, although not legally binding, still provide a visionary framework for climate action in India’s cities. With their health, existence, and identity at stake, it is high time that these persons and their lived experiences are adequately accounted for in the State’s urban planning instruments. Apart from this, every legislation in India must be audited from a climate-vulnerability lens to ascertain its impact on vulnerable communities. Legislation such as Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, thought of as climate-neutral, have unintended impacts and compound vulnerabilities of trans persons. Climate change is an undeniable reality, and as it intensifies, trans persons remain disproportionately vulnerable, confronting the looming threat from both climate disasters and systemic State neglect. Prathiksha Ullal (The writer is a senior resident fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. 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
Merger, alliance or just help? Buzz after back-to-back Congress-TMC huddles in Delhi
KOLKATA: Congress and Trinamool Congress on Wednesday denied there was any proposal or discussion about the Mamata Banerjee-headed party merging with Congress even as TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi for 90 minutes at 10, Janpath. On Tuesday, Mamata and Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi were in a huddle for close to an hour. Massively weakened after Bengal polls and still haemorrhaging from large-scale exodus of MLAs and MPs, Trinamool has dropped its anti-Congress rhetoric and opposition to a Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA alliance and is hoping that Congress will stand by it in its hour of need. A Trinamool senior privy to the ongoing developments in Delhi, termed as “baseless” reports that Congress had broached merger talks. He also did not want to comment on a possible TMC-Congress alliance in Bengal for the upcoming bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly seats and Basirhat Lok Sabha seat. “Too early to say,” he said, adding, “As two parties, the discussions were not about merger but how we work together.” Terms of seven municipal corporations, including Kolkata and Bidhannagar, and 118 municipalities end between Nov 2026 and Feb 2027. After the May 4 results, almost all Trinamool-controlled civic bodies are defunct due to mass resignations, with administrators overseeing day-to-day functioning. Bengal panchayat polls are scheduled in 2028. Sharing on X a photo from the Rahul-Abhishek meeting, Trinamool said, “The meeting reflected a shared commitment to safeguarding democracy, upholding constitutional values and working for welfare of every Indian. INDIA (bloc) stands united.” Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that reports on what supposedly transpired in the meeting between Sonia and Mamata on Tuesday were “completely inaccurate”. “The meeting was very cordial and many personal matters were talked about, given the long relationship they have had,” he said. Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh refused to speak on the supposed “merger” talks. “The leadership has spoken and beyond that we cannot say any-thing,” he said. Mamata Banerjee came to office in Bengal in 2011 with help from Congress, which was even a part of its cabinet. But the two parted ways in 2012 and have since had a testy relationship. The growing speculation over a possible rapprochement exposed fault lines within Congress’ Bengal unit. Congress veterans Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Abdul Mannan emerged as the most vocal opponents of any such move. “I have full faith in the Congress leadership. No alliance with Mamata Banerjee. If you mix sewage water with clean water, it will pollute the clean water,” Mannan said. Chowdhury, a bitter critic of Mamata, struck an even sharper note. “The same Mamata Banerjee who once broke Congress and ensured that the party is wiped out from Bengal, now finds herself compelled to seek support of the Gandhi family,” he said. State Congress chief Shubhankar Sarkar adopted a more calibrated stance. “Anyone who accepts Rahul Gandhi as future PM and head of Congress and the opposition is welcome to the party,” he said. At the same time, he appeared to draw a distinction between Mamata and those facing allegations of corruption. “The doors are not open for those trying to take shelter under the Congress umbrella merely to escape corruption charges,” he said. But even striking an alliance could be tough for Trinamool at the moment. Rebel MLA and Bengal LoP Ritabrata Banerjee said the faction headed by him was the “real Trinamool Congress” and “we are not merging” with Congress. “The number of MLAs with us has already crossed 64. It may become 65 tomorrow when another MLA joins us. Naturally, we are the real Trinamool. Who meets whom in Delhi is their matter and immaterial to us,” he said. 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
Calcutta HC grants Abhishek Banerjee interim relief in signature forgery case
Justice Kausik Chanda granted the relief for three weeks and directed Banerjee to appear before the CID at its headquarters, Bhabani Bhaban, in Kolkata by 6 pm on Thursday for questioning. KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday interim protection from coercive action to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in a signature forgery case linked to the party’s choice of Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. The court also directed him to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the state police at Bhabani Bhaban by 6 pm to face the agency probing the case. It’s not yet known whether the nephew of the Trinamool Congress supremo and former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will appear before the CID at Bhabani Bhaban. He went to Delhi on Saturday and met the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and is expected to return to Kolkata this afternoon. While hearing the case at the High Court on Thursday, Justice Kausik Chanda directed Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the CID at its Bhabani Bhaban headquarters in Kolkata by 6 pm on Thursday for questioning in the matter. The court also granted him protection from any coercive action for three weeks. The MP’s lawyer informed the court that Abhishek, the number two after Mamata in the Trinamool Congress, was scheduled to arrive in Kolkata from Delhi at around 4 pm. The court will hear the case again after two weeks. The CID has already served three notices separately to Abhishek asking him to appear before the investigating agency at Bhabani Bhaban but he didn’t face it showing medical ground and his busy schedules in Delhi till 9 June. He was brought under the scanner of the CID after serious allegations surrounding a meeting convened by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence to discuss the party’s choice for the Leader of Opposition post in the House. Abhishek wrote a letter armed with the meeting’s resolution signed by the party MLAs to the speaker Rathindranath Bose selecting Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, veteran legislator from the Ballygunj constituency in the city, as the LoP in the Trinamool legislature party. The controversy erupted after claims surfaced that signatures of several MLAs were affixed to related resolution copy despite their absence from the meeting, sparking a political row in West Bengal and prompting an investigation into alleged forgery. Based on the complaint lodged by two rebel Trinamool Congress MLAs Ritabrata Bandyopadhyay from Uluberia Purba in Howrah and Sandipan Saha from Entally in the city, with the speaker an FIR was filed by the House with Hare Street police station. With the directive of the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, a special investigation team (SIT) under the CID was formed to probe the alleged signature forgery case. The SIT has already interrogated several MLAs who have reportedly admitted that their signatures were affixed to the resolution copy though they absent in the meeting at Kalighat residence of Mamata Banerjee landing Trinamool Congress leadership in trouble particularly at a time when the party is grappling with unprecedented internal crisis after it suffered a crushing defeat to BJP winning only 80 out of 294 seats in the recent assembly polls in the state. Subhendu Maiti 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
BRS Urges Balakrishnan Commission to Recommend SC Status for Dalit
Hyderabad : BRS has urged the SC commission to recommend Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians, asserting that a change in religion does not erase the social discrimination, exclusion, and economic hardships historically faced by Dalit communities. A BRS delegation met the Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted a detailed representation seeking amendments to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. The party argued that constitutional protections should be based on social realities rather than religious identity. The delegation, comprising Rajya Sabha MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, former Minister Koppula Eshwar, BRS General Secretary R.S. Praveen Kumar, and party leader Mede Rajiv Sagar, urged the Commission to recommend corrective measures to ensure equal treatment for Dalit Christians BRS leaders maintained that despite conversion, members of Dalit Christian communities continue to experience caste-based discrimination and social disadvantage. They contended that denying them SC status amounts to unequal treatment and undermines the principles of social justice enshrined in the Constitution. The party also highlighted that the Telangana legislative assembly had previously adopted a resolution supporting the demand for SC status for Dalit Christians and urged the Commission to take note of the state’s position on the issue. BRS reiterated its commitment to pursuing all democratic and constitutional avenues to secure justice for Dalit Christians and urged the Centre to act on the Commission’s recommendations in the interest of equality and inclusive social welfare. 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