Dalit Youth Beaten Up in Ayodhya, Allegations of Extortion: Case Not Registered Even After Victim’s Complaint, SHO Says Investigation Underway
A serious case of a Dalit youth being beaten up in Ayodhya’s Amaniganj area for refusing to pay extortion money has come to light. The tractor driver and his Dalit assistant allege that they were demanded Rs. 10,000, and when they refused to pay, they were assaulted. The incident took place near Baba Khaki Das Dharam Kanta on the Amaniganj-Milkipur road near Nandoli village in the Khandasa police station area. According to the victim, their tractor was stopped by a Bolero vehicle, and money was demanded. When they refused to pay, the Dalit youth was severely beaten and his clothes were torn. The victim has filed a complaint with the local police. The police said that they have received complaints from both sides in this matter. The preliminary investigation has revealed that there was a scuffle, and allegations of extortion have also surfaced, which have been corroborated by the statements of several people. The victim’s side has alleged that a woman and her two associates assaulted them. There is also talk in the area that the said woman and one of her associates are of a criminal nature and have previously been to jail in criminal cases. However, the police have not yet officially confirmed this. Local people are also discussing that widespread extortion is being carried out in the area by two alleged journalists and a person with a criminal background. This has created an atmosphere of fear among village heads and other elected representatives. People say that these people reach anywhere and exert pressure, and there are also complaints of them threatening and extorting illegal gains in the name of inspecting the area’s cow shelters. Station House Officer Surendra Kumar Sonkar said that Sub-Inspector Rajendra Prasad is thoroughly investigating the entire incident. Further legal action will be taken after the investigation is complete. Courtesy: Hindi News
Court orders FIR against 5 for ‘bid to rape’ 16yo Dalit girl
Pilibhit: Following directions from the court of additional district and sessions judge, a case was registered against five men for allegedly wrongfully restraining, molesting and attempting to rape a 16-year-old Dalit girl while she was returning home late at night from a village fair in Pilibhit on Nov 6 last year. “After hearing my sister’s screams for help, some residents rushed to the spot and rescued her. The accused, aged between 19 and 24 years, fled after local residents arrived but not before threatening to rape her in future,” the girl’s brother said. The brother told the court that when he approached the police station, the cops took his and his sister’s thumb impressions on blank papers. And instead of taking legal action against the accused, police charged his two cousins under BNS sections 126 (wrongful restraint) and 135 (assault or criminal force used to wrongfully confine a person) and sent them to jail. He said he later sent a fresh complaint to the superintendent of police by registered post but received no response, after which he sought court’s intervention in the matter. SHO Brijveer Singh said on Wednesday, “In compliance with the court’s orders, the five named accused have been booked under BNS sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 74 (criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation).” Meanwhile, the complainant alleged that despite his sister being assaulted and insulted with caste-based slurs, police failed to invoke appropriate sections of the Pocso Act or the SC/ST Act in the FIR. When asked why sections of the Pocso Act and the SC/ST Act were missing from the FIR, the SHO said, “The appropriate provisions would be added once the police receive documents verifying the girl’s age and caste.” 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
Transgender League Gathers Pace as Jamshedpur FC’s Inclusive Football Initiative Expands
Jamshedpur: The Transgender League organised by Jamshedpur FC under its grassroots programme, the Jamshedpur Super League, continued to build momentum as the third match week concluded, highlighting growing participation, improved competitiveness, and increasing community engagement. A Platform Beyond Football For many participants, the league is more than a sporting competition. It offers visibility, dignity, and a rare opportunity to play organised football in a safe and respectful environment. Players have spoken about how the initiative has boosted confidence and encouraged members of the transgender community to step onto the field without fear or hesitation. Rising Confidence on the Pitch As the league enters its third week, teams are showing better coordination and sharper gameplay. The improvement reflects regular match exposure and a growing sense of belonging among players, many of whom are experiencing structured competitive football for the first time. Community-Driven and Inclusive The Transgender League has emerged as a strong community-led effort, supported by organisers, volunteers, and local football stakeholders. By ensuring continuity week after week, Jamshedpur FC has underlined its long-term commitment to inclusion and grassroots development. Part of a Broader Grassroots Vision Introduced within the Jamshedpur Super League framework, the Transgender League reflects the club’s wider philosophy of “football for all”. The initiative has gained recognition as one of the few dedicated football leagues for the transgender community in India, demonstrating how sport can break social barriers and foster inclusion. Teams, Players and Format The league features seven teams—Jamshedpur FT, Chaibasa FC, Chakradharpur FC, Jamshedpur Indranagar FC, Noamundi FC, Saraikela FC and Kolhan Tiger FC—comprising around 70 players from diverse backgrounds. Participants include Tata Steel employees, daily-wage labourers, small business workers and aspiring footballers. Played in a five-a-side format, the competition consists of 42 fixtures in total, with each team scheduled to play 12 matches, ensuring equal opportunity and sustained engagement throughout the season. Courtesy : The Avenue Mail Note: This news is originally published on https:/theavenuemail.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
US SC likely to uphold state bans on transgender athletes in women’s sports
The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to deal another setback to transgender people and uphold state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams. The court’s conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year, signaled during more than three hours of arguments it would rule the state bans don’t violate either the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. More than two dozen Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes. Lower courts had ruled for the transgender athletes who challenged laws in Idaho and West Virginia. The legal fight is playing out against the backdrop of a broad effort by President Donald Trump to target transgender Americans, beginning on the first day of his second term and including the ouster of transgender people from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth. The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who coached his daughters in girls basketball, seemed concerned about a ruling that might undo the effects of Title IX, which has produced dramatic growth in girls and women’s sports. Kavanaugh called Title IX an amazing and inspiring success. Some girls and women might lose a medal in a competition with transgender athletes, which Kavanaugh called a harm we can’t sweep aside. The three liberal justices seemed focused on trying to marshal a court majority in support of a narrow ruling that would allow the individual transgender athletes involved in the cases to prevail. A ruling for West Virginia and Idaho would effectively apply to the other two dozen Republican-led states with similar laws. But the justices soon might be asked to decide about the laws in an additional roughly two dozen states, led by Democrats, that allow transgender athletes to compete on the teams that match their gender identity. The outcome also could influence separate legal efforts by the Trump administration and others seeking to bar transgender athletes in states that have continued to allow them to compete. The transgender athletes’ cases In the Idaho case, Lindsay Hecox, 25, sued over the state’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad because she was too slow, her lawyer, Kathleen Hartnett, told the court Tuesday, but she competed in club-level soccer and running. Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, was in the courtroom Tuesday. She has been taking puberty-blocking medication, has publicly identified as a girl since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls sports in West Virginia. Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to a statewide third-place finish in the discus in just her first year of high school. Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh-Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that sex plays an unmistakable role in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. But last year, the six conservative justices declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Chief Justice John Roberts signaled Tuesday he sees differences between the 2020 case, in which he supported the claims of discrimination, and the current dispute. The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argue there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX. Idaho’s law, state Solicitor General Alan Hurst, said, is necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same. Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argue that such distinctions generally make sense, but that their client has none of those advantages because of the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox’s case, her lawyers want the court to dismiss the case because she has forsworn trying to play on women’s teams. NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress in 2024 that he was aware of only 10 transgender athletes out of more than a half-million students on college teams. But despite the small numbers, the issue has taken on outsize importance. Baker’s NCAA and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women’s sports after Trump, a Republican, signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation. About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8 per cent, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3 per cent, identify as transgender in the US, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. A decision is expected by early summer. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AP Washington Courtesy : Business Standard Note: This news is originally published on https:/businessstandard.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Even if effort fails … ‘: DK Shivakumar shares cryptic post after meeting Rahul Gandhi
BENGALURU: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar shared a cryptic post on Wednesday after his meeting with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. In the post on X, he said: “Even if the effort fails, the prayer does not fail.” The post follows a brief, exclusive interaction between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Shivakumar at Mysuru airport on Tuesday, which triggered fresh speculation over a possible change of guard in the state, even as chief minister Siddaramaiah insisted there was no discussion of politics. Rahul, on his way to Gudalur in Tamil Nadu, arrived at Mysuru’s Mandakalli airport around 2pm on a special flight. He was received by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who had earlier flown together to Mysuru. Within minutes, Rahul left by helicopter for Gudalur, while the Chief Minister and his deputy exited the airport separately. Later, when Rahul returned to Mysuru ahead of schedule on his return to Delhi, Shivakumar reached the airport early and had a three-minute one-on-one conversation with the former AICC chief on the tarmac. Siddaramaiah joined them subsequently, after which Rahul interacted briefly with both leaders before leaving on a special flight around 5.45pm. The exclusive exchange between Rahul and Shivakumar, coming amid sustained speculation over a possible change of guard in the state, sparked renewed political buzz. Shivakumar also shared pictures of the meeting with reporters. However, neither he nor Siddaramaiah addressed the media. Earlier, Shivakumar was present when Mysuru city police presented a guard of honour to Siddaramaiah but stayed away when the Chief Minister spoke to reporters. Shivakumar later left for a star hotel in the city, where he briefly stayed while awaiting Rahul’s return. Siddaramaiah went to his residence in Ramakrishna Nagar. Asked about the meeting later, Siddaramaiah said, “It is the media which is speculating a change in CM, but there is no confusion or issues between Shivakumar and me. Some MLAs have spoken without knowledge. Only Shivakumar and I can speak on this. A decision on a change, if any, will be taken by the party high command and we both will abide by it.” To avoid a repeat of scenes witnessed during AICC general secretary KC Venugopal’s visit to Mangaluru airport last month — where supporters of the CM and Shivakumar shouted slogans backing their leaders for the CM post — Congress and police decided to bar party workers from entering Mysuru airport on Tuesday. 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 Gandhi’s support for Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’: Message to DMK or push for new coalition with TVK in Tamil Nadu?
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s strong support for actor-politician Vijay after delay in censor certification for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’ has set tongues wagging about a possible political realignment in poll-bound Tamil Nadu. ‘Jana Nayagan’, which is widely publicised as Vijay’s final film before his full-fledged entry into politics, was slated for a Pongal release on January 9. However, the film ran into last-minute hurdles after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) did not issue certification in time. Rallying behind Vijay, Rahul attacked the Centre and said the I&B ministry’s “attempt to block” ‘Jana Nayagan’ was an attack on Tamil culture. He also targeted the Prime Minister and said: “Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.” The TVK has been quick to acknowledge Rahul’s support as a “friendly gesture.” While the Tamil Nadu Congress has denied any “political motive” behind Rahul’s gesture, the fact remains that this comes at a time when the grand-old-party’s ties with its old ally DMK has been tense over demands of power sharing. The DMK and the Congress have been partners in Tamil Nadu for long and have contested several elections together, but the grand-old party has not been a part of the DMK government in the state. The Congress wants that to change now. When Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the time has come to move beyond seat-sharing and initiate discussions on the sharing of power, he was echoing the sentiments of a section of the party. However, this “power sharing” proposal was nipped in the bud by the DMK. Ruling out any scope for coalition government, senior DMK leader and state minister I Periyasamy said: “There had never been a coalition government. The state had all along been helmed by the DMK on its own. There is no doubt about this stand of the party, there will be no coalition government and the chief minister is firm on this stand.” So, what should the Congress do? Continue with this arrangement that has been in place for years or chart a different course with a new ally? The politics of Tamil Nadu has traditionally been bipolar between two arch political rivals – the DMK and the AIADMK. However, 2026 could be different. There’s a third regional player in the fray. The entry of actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, fondly known as Thalapathy Vijay, has made the upcoming electoral contest interesting. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has already made an impressive start giving jitters to the two established regional players. Vijay is confident that his TVK will script history in the elections – just as it had happened in the 1967 and 1977 assembly elections in the state. The DMK had won for the first time in 1967 while the AIADMK won elections a decade later. While the TVK has not opened its alliance cards, Vijay has made it clear several times that his party will not join hands with either the DMK or the BJP. The actor-politician had also said that if there were any alliance in the future, it would be led by the TVK and opposed to both the DMK and the BJP. It is in this context that Rahul Gandhi’s support for Vijay has raised interest. Already there have been speculations about a tie up after TVK’s national spokesperson Felix Gerald had called the Congress a “natural ally.” “The Congress and TVK are natural allies in terms of secularism and their stand against communalism. In that sense, we have always been natural partners. Rahul Gandhi and our leader are also friends,” Gerald had said. Adding fuel to this fire was senior Congress leader and head of the party’s Data Analytics Unit, Praveen Chakravarty, who later met TVK leader Vijay. Which brings us to the question: Is the Congress seriously considering a third front in Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Vijay or is the grand-old party using Vijay’s party to bargain “power sharing” deal and extra seats with the DMK? Perhaps, we may have some answers on Congress’s future course of action in the state after Rahul’s meeting with senior state leaders in Delhi on Jan 18 and 19. 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 wants Tamil Nadu govt to be a coalition, claim Congress netas
CHENNAI: Rahul Gandhi has endorsed the demand for power sharing in Tamil Nadu, two Congress functionaries told TOI. They said Rahul, who was in Gudalur on Tuesday, raised the matter in a casual conversation with TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai in the presence of Nilgiris MP A Raja of DMK, who reportedly replied that CM and DMK supremo M K Stalin would decide on the matter. TOI could not confirm it with Raja. “Rahul wondered why DMK was not accepting the idea of power-sharing when (PM Narendra) Modi is okay with it at Centre and N Chandrababu Naidu has done it in Andhra Pradesh,” said a Congress politician, who claimed to be privy to the conversation. He said Rahul referred to the “unconditional” support Congress had extended to M Karunanidhi in 2006 when DMK with 96 MLAs, didn’t have the majority to form govt. Another source, an AICC member, said he “was told” about Rahul being upset about DMK’s silence on Congress’s demand for three cabinet berths (as TOI reported last week). “Rahul is said to have directed Selvaperunthagai to convince DMK, and Raja, who was present, said his ‘Thalaivar’ (Stalin) would decide on power sharing,” he said. Rahul, after an event at a Gudalur school on Tuesday, travelled to the helipad in a car with Raja, Selvaperunthagai and AICC member Girish Chodankar. 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 plans to boost Dalit, women representation in UP cabinet, org
Lucknow: Amid speculations of expansion of the Yogi cabinet and rejig in UP BJP organisation, the spotlight has come on Dalits and women, the two key electoral blocs that play a key role in determining the fate of parties. The development is significant even as BJP plans to step up its social coalition to counter the PDA plank of the Samajwadi Party and its ally Congress in the run-up to this year’s panchayat elections and 2027 UP polls. A senior BJP functionary said the party plans to elevate a Dalit face in the Yogi cabinet to mobilise the SC community. The state cabinet currently has 9 Dalit ministers — 2 cabinet (Baby Rani Maurya and Anil Kumar), 2 state ministers with independent charge (Gulab Devi and Asim Arun), and 5 state ministers (Dinesh Khatik, Sanjiv Gond, Manohar Kori, Suresh Rahi and Vijay Laxmi Gautam). Dalit ministers thus make up a little over 16% of the total strength of the council of ministers, comprising 54 members. This is relatively lower given the fact that SCs account for 21% of the UP population. Sources said cabinet expansion—up to a limit of 60 ministers—may see weightage being given to Dalits. The party think tank believes that the existing representation did not fully translate into political traction, particularly among non-Jatav Dalits and first-time voters, especially during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP tally plunged from 62 to 33. The talk of promoting a Dalit face, sources said, may not just be an addition, but also a possible upgrade in visibility, portfolio weight, or political positioning—a move designed to counter the SP’s attempt to mobilise the Dalit-OBC by heightening their grievances. Likewise, BJP’s organisational unit in UP also contemplates playing a Dalit card to blunt the opposition’s increasing aggression vis-a-vis the narrative of social justice. The move will attain significance days after the BJP appointed Union minister and 7-time MP Pankaj Chaudhary, a Kurmi, as the new UP BJP chief. Organisationally, 8 out of 45 members in the state unit are Dalit. This is a little over 17%, numerically, leaving room for induction of more Dalit faces. Experts said unlike the cabinet, organisational changes have a deeper and long-lasting electoral impact. More Dalit functionaries at the state level can improve the cadre-level messaging, booth management and grievance redressal, especially in the rural and semi-rural pockets where panchayat polls are due soon. Focus on Dalits, sources said, will also be crucial during the appointment of party functionaries as members of boards and corporations, besides nomination as members in the municipal corporations. Experts said the possibility of women also gaining the spotlight will serve the purpose of reinforcing the BJP’s governance narrative around welfare delivery (Ujjwala, PM Awas, Mission Shakti, etc.), which has widely resonated with women voters in recent elections. 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 minor girl abducted, village youth accused: Previously accused of molestation, police register case
A case of abduction of a minor Dalit girl has come to light from the Sheeshgarh police station area of Bareilly. It is alleged that a young man from the same village lured the girl away. Based on the complaint of the victim’s mother, the police have registered a case against the accused and started an investigation. In her complaint to the police, the woman stated that Ajay (son of Lekhraj) from the village had been harassing her 15-year-old daughter for a long time. He would make obscene comments to her whenever she passed by. A complaint had been filed at the police station earlier regarding this matter, after which the accused had promised not to repeat the mistake and a compromise was reached. The victim’s mother also alleged that Narendra and Chhotu from the village provided protection to the accused Ajay. Ajay would often sit at their house and molest and harass the girl. According to the complaint, on the night of January 10, around 2:00 AM, when the girl’s parents returned from Delhi, their children were asleep. Upon waking up in the morning, they found their minor daughter missing. After questioning the villagers, it was learned that the accused Ajay had lured the girl away. When the victim’s parents went to the accused’s house to inquire, the accused’s family members misbehaved with them and tried to evade the matter. The mother has expressed apprehension that her daughter’s life and honor are both in danger. She has demanded that the police administration recover her daughter safely as soon as possible and take strict action against the accused. Sheeshgarh Police Station Inspector Harendra Singh said that a case has been registered against three people, including the accused youth, based on the victim’s complaint. The girl will be recovered soon. Sunny Goswami | Mirganj Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit Student Beaten While Returning from School: Dozen Youths Attack with Rods, Sticks, and Belts in Sakaldiha
A Dalit minor student was brutally beaten by a dozen youths while returning home from school in the Sakaldiha police station area of Chandauli. The incident occurred around 2:30 PM on Tuesday near the Bhojapur railway crossing. The victim’s father, along with villagers, reached the police station and filed a written complaint against half a dozen youths, including a known history-sheeter. Lakshmi Narayan Gautam, son of Pancham Ram, a resident of Barthi village in Sakaldiha police station area and currently serving in the CRPF, is an 11th-grade student at Dr. Ambedkar School in Bhojapur. On Tuesday, after school was dismissed, as Lakshmi Narayan was returning home, he was surrounded by about a dozen youths near a garden in Bhojapur village on the Bhojapur-Chaturbhujpur road. It is alleged that the attackers, with their faces covered, attacked the student with belts, sticks, and rods, causing him to fall to the ground. Lakshmi Narayan sustained serious injuries to his back and hands, where marks from the sticks, rods, and belts are clearly visible. Fellow students who came to his rescue were also severely beaten by the attackers. The broad daylight assault caused panic in the area, and passersby were terrified. The victim’s father, Pancham Ram, said that his son had recently been in a motorcycle accident in which he broke his arm. He had not yet recovered from that injury when this attack occurred. Pancham Ram has filed a complaint at the police station demanding strict action against the accused. In this regard, Sakaldiha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Dilip Srivastava said that a police team has been dispatched to the spot to apprehend the accused as soon as the information was received. Gyanendra Kumar Singh | Sakaldiha, Chandauli Courtesy: Hindi News