Kerala: 23-year-old Dalit priest resigns citing caste discrimination
Vishnu said he was drawn towards priesthood because of his love for Sanatan Dharma. A 23-year-old Dalit priest in Kerala resigned from his post, alleging caste discrimination, threats and false complaints against him. PR Vishnu initially served as a part-time priest in a temple in Malikampeedika Vathurakkavu Temple in Alangad, Ernakulam. He cleared a written test and interview conducted by the Travancore Devaswom Recruitment Board, and replaced the regular priest after four months. Speaking to The Telegraph, Vishnu said he was drawn towards priesthood because of his love for Sanatan Dharma. But ever since his appointment, he claims there have been deliberate attempts to paint him as a thief. “I was shocked to know that the gold jewellery on the idol was removed and replaced with fake ones. I had a doubt and consulted a goldsmith to check the quality of the jewellery on the idol. I had a narrow escape from being branded a thief,” he said. Vishnu’s father is a daily wage labourer and mother is a homemaker. The young priest said that even his family is not spared. In his police complaint, he has accused members linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-affiliated Devaswom Employees Confederation for the intimidating work environment. State president of the Devaswom Employees Confederation, Prajith Kumar, said the organisation would not tolerate any caste discrimination against priests appointed by the TDB commissioner and warned of action against staff who allegedly humiliated Vishnu. Courtesy : Scroll Note: This news is originally published on https:/scroll.in/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
TSHRC orders water, power restoration to 30 Dalit families in Hanamkonda
Alleging caste discrimination, the families said the disconnection took place despite holding valid house-site pattas. Hyderabad: Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TSHRC), on Thursday, February 19, issued an interim order directing immediate restoration of drinking water and electricity to 30 Dalit families of Hanamkonda district, which were disconnected despite holding valid house-site pattas. Commission Chairperson Justice Shameem Akther’s order was based on complaints filed by Dalit residents of Cherabanda Raju Nagar, who alleged caste discrimination and constant threats with drinking water and electricity disconnection, as well as demolition of their houses. The Commission directed the Hanamkonda District Collector, Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation and the Telangana Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGNPDCL) to immediately restore water and power supply and refrain from coercive eviction measures. “Such actions violate the constitutional guarantees of equality and the right to life with dignity. We have directed the Warangal Police Commissioner to prevent caste-based intimidation and ensure protection to the residents,” Justice Akther said. The Chief Secretary and Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) B Shivadhar Reddy have been directed to monitor the situation. The Commission has sought a detailed report by March 9. Courtesy : Scroll Note: This news is originally published on https:/scroll.in/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Man hangs self after ‘killing’ transgender in UP’s Ballia
In Ballia, UP, a man named Ravi Gupta (30) allegedly killed 65-year-old transgender Rekha, whose body was found on his roof, before he hanged himself. Rekha was reported missing, and CCTV showed her entering Gupta’s house. Police registered a case against five people, including the deceased man and his father. Ballia (UP), Feb 19 (PTI) A man hanged himself in the Bairia area here after allegedly killing a 65-year-old transgender who had gone missing, police said on Thursday. The transgender, identified as Rekha, had gone missing on Tuesday, they said. Members of the transgender community had searched for her and later lodged a missing persons complaint at the Bairia police station when she could not be traced. Her mobile phone was later found in a field near Pura Phatak in Raniganj, police said. Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh told reporters that Ravi Gupta (30) was found hanging from a ceiling hook in his room on the third floor of his house in the Raniganj area on Wednesday night, after his family informed the police. CCTV footage of the house showed Rekha entering the residence, Station House Officer Rajendra Prasad Singh said. On a sustained search of the house, the body of the transgender was found wrapped in polythene in a box kept on the roof with injury marks, he said. According to police, Rekha was a native of Bihar’s Chhapra and lived in a rented accommodation in Raniganj. The SP said a case has been registered against five persons, including the deceased and his father, and three members of the family. Further legal proceedings are being carried out. PTI COR CDN APL APL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Courtesy : The Print Note: This news is originally published on https:/theprint.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
DM’s certificate under Transgender Act conclusive proof of gender for passport: Allahabad HC
The bench said Clause 5 of the DM’s certificate allows name and gender updates in all records, and passport authorities cannot seek fresh medical tests or extra documents. PRAYAGRAJ: The certificate issued by a district magistrate under Section 7 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 is conclusive proof of a person’s gender identity for the purpose of issuance of a passport, the Allahabad High Court has ruled. A division bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan observed that the passport authority “cannot insist on a fresh medical examination” or “seek changes in the birth certificate” for effecting a change of gender in a passport. The court passed the order on February 10 while disposing of a petition filed by Khush R Goel, who had challenged a June 23, 2025 order of the passport authorities directing him to undergo a fresh medical examination at a clinic empanelled by them for change of gender in his passport. According to the plea, the petitioner was born a female but later identified as a transgender person. After attaining majority, he underwent gender reassignment surgery and transitioned to male. He subsequently approached the district magistrate and obtained a certificate under the 2019 Act, which entitles the holder to change name and gender in all official documents. However, when he sought correction of gender in his passport, the authorities directed him to undergo a fresh medical examination. The bench noted that Clause 5 of the certificate issued by the district magistrate specifically entitles the holder to update name and gender in all official documents. It held that once such a certificate is issued, there is no requirement for the passport authorities to demand any further medical examination or additional documents. Emphasising the object behind the enactment of the 2019 law, the court observed that Parliament brought in the statute to address the social ostracism faced by transgender persons and to ensure their dignity and equal rights, so that they are not compelled to suppress their identities contrary to their innate personality. Holding that the district magistrate’s certificate “gives a quietus to the controversy,” the court disposed of the petition and set aside the requirement of further medical examination. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Kota man arrested for threatening to shoot Rahul, 25 Cong MPs in video posted online
Kota: A man was arrested Thursday in Rajasthan’s Kota for allegedly threatening to shoot leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi and 25 other Congress MPs in a video he posted online, citing their alleged verbal abuse of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the budget session. Raja Singh Amera claims to be a spokesperson of Karni Sena. But both Karni Sena and BJP have distanced themselves, stating he has no formal ties to either organisation. Birla is Kota’s BJP MP. In the 0.55-second video clip, Amera said he and others would vandalise the MPs’ homes and shoot them “one by one.” He also said the administration would be responsible if such an act took place. Kota City SP Tejeshwani Goutam said Amera faced four previous cases. The fresh case has been registered under sections 351, 352 and 353 of BNS, pertaining to criminal intimidation, breach of public peace and mischief. 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
Rahul to kick off Cong campaign with Barnala rally
Bathinda: Aiming to kick-start the campaigning for the next assembly elections in Punjab, the Congress Party has decided to organise a massive rally to be addressed by leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at Barnala on Feb 28. The party on Thursday started preparations for the rally to be held in the grain market of Barnala. Former MLA Hardyal Singh Kamboj has been appointed as in charge of district Barnala for the rally and to coordinate with party leaders along with Barnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhillon. The party has been instructed not to leave anything to chance to make this rally a success so that the election campaigning is started in a big manner, said sources in the party. The three assembly segments in Barnala district, Barnala, Bhadaur and Megha; Kalan have been asked to gear up and organise elaborate meeting by February 21 and apprise about the outcome of the meeting to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, the sane evening for more efforts to be made to ensure a big gathering for the rally. PPCC general secretary (organisation) Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu (retd) said, “The party leaders have been assigned duties for the smooth conduct of the rally at Barnala on Feb 28.” The Congress is making all out efforts to put a narrative against the central as well as state government and to make people believe that the Congress is the viable alternative in Punjab, the party sources said, adding the biggest issue before the party high command is to ensure all the leaders are on the same page, leaving behind the vertical factionalism. The Aam Aadmi Party has already kick-started the campaign by holding a rally at Killi Chahlan in Moga on Feb 16 while BJP is planning to hold a rally to be addressed by Union home minister Amit Shah in early March. 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
Ahmedabad: Dalit youth stabbed, casteist slurs uttered; case filed against 6 people
A minor dispute at a paan shop in the Ranip area led to a bloody clash; police registered an FIR against 6 accused under sections of the SC/ST Act and the BNS. Ahmedabad: A minor dispute turned violent late Saturday night in the Ranip area of the city. A 25-year-old Dalit youth was stabbed in the neck and seriously injured. Following the incident, the victim filed a complaint at the Ranip police station on Sunday. What is the entire matter? The victim has been identified as Sahil Vaghela, a resident of Purushottam Nagar opposite Pink City in Ranip, and works at a private company. In his statement to the police at the Civil Hospital, Sahil stated that the incident occurred around 10:30 pm on Saturday night. He had gone to a paan shop near Bakra Mandi when he encountered Shravan Thakor, Harshit Thakor, and four others. Casteist Slurs and Stabbing It is alleged that these men began questioning Sahil about a past incident in his society. The accused immediately began abusing him. Sahil alleges that he was insulted with casteist slurs and assaulted. During the scuffle, the main accused, Shravan, allegedly pulled out a knife and attacked Sahil. The knife wound struck the left side of his neck. Accused absconding, victim out of danger Seeing blood flowing from his neck, Sahil raised an alarm, which frightened all the attackers and they fled the scene. The injured Sahil immediately called his friends and a relative. He was then taken to the Civil Hospital by 108 ambulance. After being treated by doctors, he was discharged from the hospital and is currently reported to be out of danger. Police Action Given the seriousness of the case, the Ranip police have registered an FIR against six accused. Police have registered a case under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, and insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace. The accused have also been charged under relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Not every insult to a member of the SC/ST community is an atrocity: Understand this important Calcutta High Court decision
The court also clarified that it is not enough for the accused to know the caste of the victim. A crime is committed when the insult is committed “on the ground or by reason of the person being a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe.” Kolkata—In a landmark judgment delivered on February 11, the Calcutta High Court clarified that every insult or threat directed at a member of a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) is not automatically considered a crime under Section 3(1)(r) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. A single bench of Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das), while hearing a criminal revisional application in the case of Moumita Bhattacharya v. State of West Bengal, quashed the entire proceedings at the Amherst Street Police Station, including the charge sheet filed therein. The case relates to a professional dispute in the Sanskrit Department. The complainant, who belongs to the SC community and joined as an Assistant Professor on November 14, 2018, alleged that Moumita Bhattacharya, as Head of the Department, humiliated him on the basis of caste, mentally harassed him, and harmed his career. The allegations included not inviting the complainant to departmental meetings, withholding meeting resolutions, stopping undergraduate classes, preventing him from conducting examination/evaluation duties, conspiring with students, and using abusive language in online meetings. The complaint was filed on December 4, 2021. Following an investigation, a charge sheet was filed on April 10, 2022, and the Special Court took cognizance. Petitioner Moumita Bhattacharya filed a petition under Section 482 CrPC seeking quashing of the proceedings. Citing his qualifications, he stated that he holds a PhD in Sanskrit from Visva Bharati University, a post-doctoral fellowship, passed SLET, and has held editorial positions in various journals, and stated that the allegations are false, motivated by vengeance, and lack the essential elements of an offence under the SC/ST Act. The Court, citing several Supreme Court judgments (Sajan Skaria v. State of Kerala, Hitesh Verma v. State of Uttarakhand, Swaran Singh v. State, etc.), clarified the essential elements of Section 3(1)(r). The Court stated: “The basic elements of an offence under Section 3(1)(r) are as follows: The accused must not be a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe. The accused must intentionally insult or intimidate a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe. Such insult or intimidation must be with the intent to humiliate that person. And such insult or intimidation must occur in a public place or in public view.” The court further made an important observation: “Not every intentional insult or threat directed at a member of a Scheduled Caste or Tribe will constitute caste-based humiliation. This is only the case if the insult or threat is due to the prevalent practice of untouchability or to reinforce notions such as the historical superiority of upper castes over lower castes/untouchables, or the notions of purity and impurity.” The court also clarified that it is not enough for the accused to know the victim’s caste. The offense is made out when the insult is inflicted “on the ground or by reason of the person being a member of a Scheduled Caste or Tribe.” The complaint mentioned a specific incident where the complainant was referred to as “Adarsh Sir” in an online meeting. The court made a strong comment on this: “‘Adarsh’ means ideal, and ‘Sir’ is a respectful address. This court is at a loss to understand how calling someone ‘Adarsh Sir’ can be derogatory, even if done sarcastically. This cannot, in any case, constitute an offense under the SC/ST (POA) Act, 1989.” Applying the principles of State of Haryana vs. Bhajan Lal, the court held that even if the allegations in the FIR are accepted as completely true, they do not constitute an offense. The proceedings appear to be motivated by personal enmity and revenge. Therefore, it is appropriate to quash them under Section 482 CrPC. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
Kerala: Dalit priest resigns, upset over caste discrimination and threats, says ‘a conspiracy was hatched to steal’
‘An attempt was made to prove me a thief by removing the idol’s original ornaments’ – Fed up with caste discrimination and threats, a 23-year-old Dalit priest in Kerala has resigned from his job. Ernakulam (Kerala): A shocking incident has emerged from Alangad in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. A Dalit priest has resigned from his post, accusing the CPI(M)-backed Devaswom Employees Confederation of caste discrimination, threats, and fabricated complaints. The young priest, P.R. Vishnu, claims that when he refused to participate in certain unfair practices and wrongdoings, retaliatory action was initiated against him, making it impossible for him to continue working at the temple. Conspiracies began just months after joining the job 23-year-old Vishnu was serving as a part-time priest at the Malikampeedika Vathurakkavu Temple in Alangad. He had been appointed to this position approximately four months earlier after being selected by the Travancore Devaswom Recruitment Board (TDB) based on a written examination and interview. However, within a few months of his appointment, the temple administration began receiving false complaints in his name from fake addresses. Love for Sanatana Dharma and Attempt to Prove Him a ‘Thief’ Due to his deep faith in Sanatana Dharma, Vishnu underwent rigorous training in Tantric rituals and chose this profession. Recounting a horrific plot against him, he said: “Every effort was made to frame me as a thief. I was shocked to see that the real gold ornaments on the idol had been replaced with fake ones. I became suspicious and immediately called a goldsmith to have the ornaments checked. This way, I narrowly escaped being falsely accused of theft.” Family also being targeted Vishnu’s father, P.K. Ramesan, is a daily wage laborer, and his mother, Soumya Ramesan, is a homemaker. The priest alleges that his family is also being deliberately harassed. Vishnu revealed that he had filed a police complaint against a local man, and he is facing intense pressure from various quarters to withdraw it. What’s the future? Regarding the recent developments, Vishnu said that he received a call from the TDB Chairman’s office on Wednesday, and Crime Branch officials have recorded his statement. He has clearly told officials that if strict action is taken against those responsible for insulting him, he may reconsider his resignation. Devaswom Employees Confederation’s clarification Amidst this controversy, Devaswom Employees Confederation State President Prajit Kumar has given his side of the story. He said, “Our organization will not allow anyone to discriminate against our priests on the basis of caste, as they are directly selected by the TDB Commissioner. We will definitely take action against the TDB employees who insulted Vishnu.” Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
UP: 15-year-old Dalit gang-raped by two youths, minor at hotel
The accused had abandpned her under a bridge after committing the crime. Banda: A 15-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped at a hotel in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district by two youths and a minor, who then abandoned her under a bridge, police said on Thursday, February 19. The two youths involved in the crime were arrested, and the juvenile was apprehended on Wednesday, February 18, they said. According to Atarra Circle Officer Praveen Yadav, the arrested have been identified as Mahesh Kushwaha (18), Shakti Singh (19), and a 15-year-old boy, all residents of Girwan village. Victim forced to inhale intoxicant, then taken to hotel He said the incident took place around 8:30 pm on Tuesday, February 17. The complaint filed by the girl’s father stated that his daughter had gone to the market in Atarra town with a friend, when the three accused on a motorcycle made her inhale some intoxicant. They took the semi-conscious teenager to a hotel on Station Road, committed the crime, and then abandoned her under the Ken Canal bridge before fleeing, CO Yadav said. A case was registered on Wednesday, and all the accused were held, the CO said. He added that one of the arrested accused was a former acquaintance of the victim. Posted by Khadija Irfan Rahim Courtesy : Scroll Note: This news is originally published on https:/scroll.in/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights