Ahmedabad: 2 Dalit youths died in sewer, one contractor arrested, now 2 more big names surfaced, who is the real culprit?
The police has started investigation in this tragic incident that took place in Bopal, Ahmedabad. After the labor contractor, now a case has been registered against the site contractor and engineer under the culpable homicide and atrocities act. Ahmedabad: Police has now registered a case against three people in the case of the tragic death of two Dalit youths due to suffocation in the sewer manhole in Bopal area of the city. This incident took place on September 5, in which 20-year-old Vikas Lal Bahadur Kori and 21-year-old Kanhaiyalal Khushiram Kori lost their lives. In this case, earlier only the labor contractor was arrested as an accused. But now Ahmedabad Rural Police has expanded the scope of investigation and has also made the site contractor and site engineer accused and is preparing to arrest them. What is the whole matter? The police have registered an FIR at the Bhopal police station on the complaint of deceased Vikas’s father Lal Bahadur Chhotelal Kori (48). Lal Bahadur, a resident of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, said that his son Vikas was working as a plumber in Ahmedabad for the last three years. The pain he has expressed in his complaint is heart-wrenching. Lal Bahadur said that on September 6, he received a call from his relative Anish. Anish said that Vikas and his friend Kanhaiyalal were asked to get down into a sewer (gutter) near ‘The Garden Bungalows’ in Bhopal, where Vikas fainted. They were also told that Vikas would be sent home in an ambulance for treatment. But when the next day, on September 7, the ambulance reached his house in Amethi, Vikas’ lifeless body was taken out of it. Pushed to death without safety equipment When Lal Bahadur asked Anish the reason for the death, the truth came out. According to the FIR, on September 5, around 1:30 pm, contractor Mukeshkumar Someshwar Adalat Thakur brought a pressure machine and asked Vikas to get down to clean the gutter. The most serious thing was that Vikas was not given any safety equipment. As soon as Vikas got down into the gutter, he fainted due to the poisonous gas. His friend Kanhaiyalal also went inside to save him, but he also fell unconscious. Others present at the spot immediately called the fire department, who pulled both of them out and took them to a nearby private hospital. At the hospital, doctors declared Kanhaiyalal dead at 3:40 pm and Vikas at 10:40 pm. Police investigation and new revelations Tapsin Dodiya, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) of SC/ST cell of Ahmedabad rural police, said on Thursday that the two youths were called to work on the private sewer line of a construction site. He said, “After finishing that work, they had to connect that line to the main sewer line of the Municipal Corporation, but the line was jammed due to rain. Our investigation has revealed that after this, both the youths were asked to clear the jammed line connecting the private sewer to the main line, and during this time this tragic accident happened.” Action was taken against whom? The police have registered a case against contractor Mukeshkumar Someshwar Adalat Thakur under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 125 (endangering human life or personal safety) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). Apart from this, sections 7 and 9 of the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act’ and section 3 (2) (v) of the ‘Atrocities Act’ have also been imposed on him. DySP Dodiya further said, “We have already arrested labour contractor Thakur, who hails from Bihar. Now two more people, site contractor Saurabh Panchal and site engineer Jaynil, have also been made accused in the case. We will arrest them soon.” The police also said that when they investigated the role of the site builder, it was found that he was not aware of the work being done. Parshottam Vaghela of ‘Manav Garima’ NGO, which works on such incidents, says, “The law is very clear that those responsible for the death of workers, including government officials in charge, should be held accountable.” Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
MP: Attempt of self-immolation in Bhopal Commissioner’s office, Dalit elder from Vidisha took this step after getting fed up with land dispute
After the incident, anger is being seen among the villagers and people of the society of Ganjbasoda area. They say that if the administration had resolved the land dispute on time, Ram Singh would not have had to take such a step. Bhopal. There was chaos in the Divisional Commissioner’s office located in Kohefiza of the capital on Thursday, when 65-year-old Dalit elder Ram Singh Ahirwar, a resident of Behalot village of Ganjbasoda tehsil of Vidisha district, tried to set himself on fire by pouring petrol on himself in the waiting room. Amidst the suddenly rising flames and smoke, the employees and common citizens present in the office ran away to save their lives. The Nagar Sainiks deployed on the spot showed immediate presence of mind and took him out of the waiting room and controlled the situation. What is the matter? Ram Singh Ahirwar told the officials that 0.897 hectares of land was allotted on lease in Siyari village in the name of his mother Shakkaria. In the year 1999, the administration canceled this lease and in 2001 the same land was registered in the government road category. Since then, Ram Singh has been constantly visiting the offices of the officials. The elderly man says that he applied several times in Ganjbasoda SDM office, but there was no hearing. In the hope of justice, he has lodged a complaint on CM Helpline 12 times so far, but every time the case was closed by calling it “dismissed”. After the uproar, Commissioner Sanjeev Singh immediately handed over Ram Singh to the police. However, no crime was registered against him till late night. After this, the Commissioner called him to the office again in the evening and heard his entire problem and said that the matter will be investigated and an attempt will be made to resolve it. Questions are being raised on the functioning of the administration! This incident not only shows the suffering of an old man, but also raises serious questions on the functioning of the administration. After years of wandering from door to door for justice and making complaints, when there was no solution, he finally had to take the extreme step of self-immolation. Anger among villagers After the incident, anger is being seen among the villagers and people of the society of Ganjbasoda area. They say that if the administration had resolved the land dispute on time, Ram Singh would not have had to take such a step. People have demanded that the victim’s land be returned and action be taken against the guilty officials. Cases that have come to light earlier also Earlier also a sensational case had come to light in Bhopal Collectorate, when a young man from the capital, hurt by the non-hearing of his problem, drank poison in the Collectorate premises. This sudden incident created panic and the employees present on the spot immediately took him to the hospital. This incident also indicates that people get so frustrated with their pain and complaints that they are forced to take extreme steps like consuming poison to draw the attention of the administration. Earlier also, a case of a youth reaching Bhopal Collectorate by bowing down and wrapping a paper in a memorandum had come to light. Even before this, many times people in the state have adopted unique and symbolic methods to convey their problems to the administration. Sometimes citizens have submitted memorandums by walking on their knees, sometimes barefoot or bowing down. The purpose behind these methods is that the administration listens to their problems seriously and resolves them soon. Earlier also in different districts of Madhya Pradesh, farmers, unemployed youth and people from marginalized sections have similarly sent letters or applications to the officials by wrapping them in paper. This tradition has become a non-violent means of expressing protest and anguish. When there is no hearing through normal methods, people raise their voice by adopting extreme symbolic methods like bowing down, so that the echo of their problems reaches the government and administration. Ankit Pachauri Courtesy : Hindi News
Transgender Community Assembled In Agra Sends Help Of ₹25 Lakh To Punjab Flood Victims;
The transgender community from all across the nation assembled in Agra has sent help of over ₹25 lakh to the Punjab flood victims reeling due to the severe rainfall and flash floods. The ‘All India Kinnar Samaj Conference’ is being held on Fatehabad Road in Agra. Around 10 thousand Kinnars from across the country are participating in it. The transgender community from all across the nation assembled in Agra has sent help of over ₹25 lakh to the Punjab flood victims reeling due to the severe rainfall and flash floods. The ‘All India Kinnar Samaj Conference’ is being held on Fatehabad Road in Agra. Around 10 thousand Kinnars from across the country are participating in it. In this conference, the transgender community is collecting donations for the flood victims. The donations from the transgender individuals are said to amount to 25 lakh rupees. These donations will now be used to provide relief to the flood victims of Punjab. On Wednesday, at Havells Garden, transgender community made bids after donating money for the Punjab flood victims. Some donated Rs 50,000, and some donated up to Rs 1 lakh. The highest donation came from Gorakhpur. During this conference, the eunuchs prayed for the people and farmers trapped in the floods in Punjab. Ganesh Puja was performed so that the people of Punjab would get relief from the floods. Guru Mata Sadhna of Haryana said, “Eunuchs from all over the country have gathered in Agra today. A bed has been set up to collect donations for the flood victims in Punjab. Eunuchs from all over the country are donating money there. 30 lakhs have been donated. If needed, we will collect more donations. We are not doing any charitable work. We are eunuchs, we are giving money taken from people to people when needed.” Panch of All India Kinnar Samaj said that they will not give the donation money to politicians and officers as it may lead to the fraud of money. We want to provide help directly to the victims. And we will take along someone who is really helping people. Rutunjay Dole Courtesy : TFPJ Note: This news is originally published on https:/thefreepressjournal.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Charlie Kirk shooting: Recovered rifle engraved with ‘transgender, anti-fascist ideology’, say reports
The rifle recovered in the search for the gunman who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Thursday was reportedly engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” according to preliminary law enforcement reports. The .30-06-caliber Mauser bolt-action rifle believed by federal investigators to be the weapon used in the attack, was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near Utah Valley University, reported The New York Post. Kirk, 31, a US President Donald Trump ally and Turning Point USA founder, was shot in the neck by a single high-caliber round fired from roughly 200 yards while while addressing a crowd of about 3,000 students and supporters at Utah Valley University (UVU). The gunman reportedly blended into the university environment and appeared to be of college age, according to Utah public safety commissioner Beau Mason. The rifle has been turned over to the FBI for DNA and fingerprint analysis. Authorities obtained clear video footage showing a figure in dark clothing firing a shot from the roof of a building at UVU in Orem, Utah. Two suspects initially taken into custody have since been released. The Utah department of public safety emphasised that the shooting remains an “active investigation.” Along with the rifle, investigators collected a shoeprint, palm print, and forearm impressions. More than 130 tips had been submitted by Thursday morning, which officials said “are being fully investigated,” according to Bohls. Utah governor Spencer Cox described the attack as “believed to be a targeted assassination,” though authorities say the shooter’s identity and motive remain unknown. Officials continue to search for the gunman and are combing through surveillance footage to identify the suspect. Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office, added that the individual who shot Kirk is not hiding in the wooded area where investigators recovered the rifle allegedly used in the attack. 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
‘Congress has sworn to insult her’: BJP on AI video of PM Modi’s mother; blames Rahul Gandhi’s ‘arrogance’
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday slammed the Congress over an AI-generated video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother Heeraben, accusing the party of taking a vow to “repeatedly insult” her. The clip was posted by the Bihar unit of the Congress. “The Congress has sworn to repeatedly insult the late mother of PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji. When they found nothing, they showed his mother in a fake video, making her say words that are a complete insult to her,” the Bihar BJP posted on X, alleging that such videos were being circulated at the behest of “arrogant” and “anarchic” Rahul Gandhi. The clip, shared on Wednesday, begins with an AI version of PM Modi going to sleep after declaring that the day’s “vote chori” (vote theft) is done. He then dreams of his mother, and the AI version of Heeraben appears. “First you forced me to stand in long queues during demonetisation and made a reel of washing my feet. Now you are doing politics in Bihar in my name. You are getting banners of my ‘insult’ printed. You are again doing drama in Bihar. How low will you stoop?” she asks, before “PM Modi” hurriedly wakes up. Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of indulging in “vote chori” to benefit the BJP — a charge the poll body has firmly denied. This comes days after the prime minister was abused during a Congress-RJD rally in the poll-bound state, with his mother being mentioned. He hit back soon after, calling the remarks an insult not only to him but to “every mother, sister, and daughter of the country,” adding that the people of Bihar shared his anguish. Heeraben Modi passed away in December 2022 at the age of 99. 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
Cong doesn’t rule out TMC alliance for 2026 elections
Kolkata: Congress on Thursday did not rule out a possible tie-up with Trinamool for the 2026 Bengal assembly polls. While the Congress high command left the question of an “alliance” to the opinion of state netas and “ground realities”, it said Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would be part of the election campaign. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal held a meeting with Pradesh Congress netas to assess the party’s strength in the districts. “The issue of a possible alliance will be discussed in Pradesh Congress first. They will assess the political situation and come forward with a solution. The party high command will take a call at that point in time,” Venugopal said. During the two-hour meeting with Congress’s Bengal minder Ghulam Ahmed Mir, state president Subhankar Sarkar, Malda South MP Isha Khan Chowdhury and seniors like Adhir Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunshi, Venugopal listened patiently to diverging opinions. Congress, which secured 44 seats in the 2016 assembly polls, was reduced to zero in 2021. Its vote share in Bengal declined from 12% to 3% during this period. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress’s seats were reduced from four to two. In both the assembly polls, Congress was in alliance with the Left Front. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, its seat tally was further reduced to one, and the party was able to retain only the Malda Dakshin seat. However, its vote share increased marginally by a little more than 4.5%. “The Congress high command wants the state unit to consolidate its strengths first. We will leverage that and decide the number of seats the party wants to contest,” a Pradesh Congress neta 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
India gets new VP! CP Radhakrishnan takes oath as 15th vice-president; Jagdeep Dhankhar present
NEW DELHI: CP Radhakrishnan on Friday took oath as the 15th vice-president of India at a formal ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu.The swearing-in ceremony was attended by senior leaders including Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. Former vice-presidents Jagdeep Dhankhar, Venkaiah Naidu and Hamid Ansari were also present at the ceremony. Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Punjab governor and chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Jharkhand governor Santosh Gangwar, and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav. After the ceremony, Radhakrishnan paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, at the Rajghat. Radhakrishnan, the NDA nominee, was elected as the vice-president on Tuesday, securing 452 votes against opposition candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, who received 300 votes. September 12 was chosen for the ceremony as the time was found to be “auspicious by the pandit ji,” news agency ANI reported citing sources. The election was necessitated due to the sudden resignation of the then incumbent, Jagdeep Dhankhar, on July 21 over health issues. 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
“Find Ambedkar in books, not in statues”: Prof. Ratan Lal asked- Why don’t we have a share in universities?
The professor questioned the priorities of the Dalit middle class. He said, “Billions of rupees were spent on our movements, but was any money spent on a serious research, book, article or educating a child abroad? Why are our children not becoming researchers? Why are they not going for PhD, Harvard, Oxford?” Bhopal- In a seminar organized in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, Professor Ratan Lal of Delhi University expressed deep concern over the current political and social situation of the Dalit community. He said that getting reservation was the result of a long struggle, but now the society needs to focus on education, research and intellectual discourse, and not just dream of electoral power. Professor Ratan Lal was speaking on the topic ‘Creation of reserved class, their role in the present’ in the provincial executive meeting of Doma Sangh and a discussion. He discussed in detail the historical journey of the Dalit community, the legacy of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the foundation of reservation, and the challenges of the Dalit middle class in the present times. Professor Lal warned the society that rights like education and jobs are being snatched away in rich India, and the Dalit society now has to focus on education, research and intellectual discourse instead of only power and electoral politics. He appealed to adopt Ambedkar’s practical philosophy and avoid unrealistic dreams. Professor Rattan Lal drew attention to an important historical fact in his address. He said, “Babasaheb Ambedkar used to constantly say that we are a minority in national life. Just like Muslims and Sikhs are minorities, we are also minorities. That is why constitutional safeguards are needed. Have you got reservation on the basis of the demand for minority status or on the claim of being a majority? This is a matter of thinking.” He further said that now claiming that ‘we will become rulers’ is an unrealistic dream. There are only 131 seats in Parliament and limited seats in Vidhan Sabhas, so why is everything being snatched away, this question is not in the discussion. Creation of Reserved Caste: A Difficult Historical Journey Professor Rattan Lal made it clear at the beginning of his speech that the creation of reserved class was not an easy process. He mentioned Dr. Ambedkar’s first memorandum given to the South Borough Committee in 1919, in which education and employment were described as a matter of life and death for the Dalit society. At that time, there was not a single Scheduled Caste graduate in the entire Bombay Province. Ambedkar repeatedly raised the question of education even during the formation of Simon Commission, Round Table Conference and Independent Labour Party. He presented the data in ‘Grievances of Scheduled Caste’ that out of 1056 ICS officers, only one was from Scheduled Caste, and only one among CPWD contractors. In that era, even getting a job for three constables was a reason for celebration. Professor Lal emphasised that Dalits presented themselves as minorities in national life, as did the Muslim and Sikh communities. There was a demand for minority status till 1942-44, and on this basis constitutional protection and reservation were demanded. He raised the question, “Have you got reservation in the name of minority or in the name of majority? Just think.” Ambedkar’s philosophy is practical; pressure has to be built Professor Lal described Ambedkar’s philosophy as pragmatism, which was influenced by his mentor John Dewey (Columbia University). In 1916, at the age of 24, Ambedkar wrote the first article in the Bombay Chronicle, in which he advocated building a public library instead of the bust of Firozshah Mehta. He took inspiration from Buddha, Kabir and Phule, but did not dream unrealistic dreams. Ambedkar was a supplicant, who kept demanding from the Viceroy, Congress and the government. In his 1948 Lucknow speech, he demanded separate electorate, reservation in the legislature and reservation in government jobs, but got only partial success. The professor said, “Ambedkar repeatedly said that pressure has to be built, rights have to be kept demanding.” He gave the example that there was no debate on reservation in the Constituent Assembly, because everyone including Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru had a consensus of historical injustice. But today the society has turned upside down, where instead of asking, claims are being made to be ‘givers’. He said sarcastically, “What will they give? We don’t have a share in universities, bureaucracy, share market, foreign policy.” Facilities were provided in poor India, rights are being snatched away in rich India Professor Lal called the rise of the Dalit middle class a by-product of modernism, industrialization and colonialism. In the 19th century, the middle class was formed from urban centers and factories, which also included Dalits. He said, “In Marxist terms, one who is not bourgeois, middle class, cannot become anything. Think tanks, bureaucrats, writers, journalists, academicians all come from the middle class.” In poor India, the fees in government schools and colleges were one or two annas, stipends and fellowships were given. In 1973, Indira Gandhi wrote a letter to all CMs to form a cell to stop atrocities on Harijans and make full appointments in the public sector. Dalits became officers through bank nationalization, and got leases through land reform. Rajiv Gandhi started a special recruitment drive, opened Navodaya Vidyalayas where education was free. Crores of rupees were earned from reservation in petrol pumps and gas agencies. Employees in public sector like ONGC increased from 3000 to 21000, out of which 7500 are SC-ST-OBC, and with an average salary of 1 lakh, 100 crore rupees are going to their homes every year. Two generations ago there were huts, now by becoming teachers, families are able to run. But now all this is being snatched away in rich India. Government schools and colleges are closing, quality is deteriorating, and private education is so expensive that it is out of reach. Sale of gas and petrol through private pipelines is ending, and jobs are decreasing due to privatization. Weaknesses
Kanchipuram District Judge had sent DSP to jail for not taking action in SC/ST case, Madras High Court cancelled the order, know what the court said
This is the first case in the country where Section 4 of SC/ST Act was directly used. The High Court said that the judge misused judicial powers by acting with personal malice against his PSO. Gave instructions for judicial investigation Chennai- Madras High Court has cancelled the externment order passed by the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Kanchipuram under Section 10 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the order to send the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to jail under Section 4 of the same Act. The High Court has described these orders as “clear abuse of the process of law” and “motivated by personal motive”. This case is the first of its kind in the country, where Section 4 of the SC/ST Act was directly used by a judge against a senior police officer and he was sent to jail. What is the root of the controversy? The case began with a simple clash at Walajabad police station in Kancheepuram district. On July 25, 2025, a dispute broke out between two groups at a bakery in Walajabad. One group comprised Lokeshwaran Ravi, the then Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the Principal District Judge of Kancheepuram, his father-in-law and others, while the other group comprised Parvathy and her family members. Following the clash, both parties filed complaints against each other. The police, after hearing both sides and recording statements from the parties, settled the matter on July 28 itself and both CSRs (Complaint Status Reports) were closed. The petitions filed in the High Court alleged that the District Judge felt that his PSO Lokeshwaran Ravi was repeatedly sending anonymous complaints against him. Due to this, the judge approached the Superintendent of Police (SP) and demanded a change of his PSO. Even WhatsApp messages of this conversation were produced in the petition. When the judge learnt that the complaint lodged against his PSO had been closed, he called up the inspector of Walajabad police and verbally ordered him to register a fresh FIR based on the closed CSR. The judge allegedly threatened the inspector that if the FIR was not registered, action would be taken against him under Section 4 of the SC/ST Act. Following this pressure, two fresh FIRs were registered on August 20, 2025. Crime No. 282/2025 was registered against Parvathy’s husband Murugan, while Crime No. 283/2025 was registered against PSO Lokeshwaran Ravi and his family members, with sections of the SC/ST Act also added. On September 4, the Kancheepuram district judge passed a Suo Motu (of his own volition) order using Section 10 of the SC/ST Act. In this order, he ordered all the accused in Crime No. 283/2025, including PSO Lokeshwaran Ravi, to stay out of the limits of Kanchipuram district. The judge said in his order that since the police did not take any action for 15 days, he had to pass this order. However, the High Court quashed this order. DSP arrested – first case in the country The action that followed was even more shocking. On September 8, the judge summoned DSP Kanchipuram, M. Shankar Ganesh to the court and asked him for information about the compliance of the externment order. It is alleged that the DSP was made to sit in the court from morning till evening and in the evening suddenly the judge took cognizance against the DSP under Section 4 of the SC/ST Act and ordered him to be sent to judicial custody. The DSP was immediately sent to Sub-Jail, Kanchipuram in the judge’s own official car. This is perhaps the first case in the country where a judge directly used Section 4 against a senior police officer and sent him to jail. What did the High Court say Justice N. Satish Kumar of Madras High Court expressed serious objection to both these orders. He said that the procedure required to pass the externment order was not followed. The court said, “An order of externment under the SC/ST Act can be passed only when there has actually been an atrocity on the members of the Scheduled Caste/Tribe and there is a possibility of the accused committing such an offence again… In this case, looking at the complaints of both the parties, it is clear that there was only a clash between the parties while purchasing some eatables in a bakery and naturally, one party would not even know the caste of the other party.” The High Court cited an important decision of the Supreme Court (State of GNCT of Delhi vs. Praveen Kumar, 2024) on the arrest of the DSP. The High Court said, “For initiating punitive proceedings against a public servant under Section 4 of the SC/ST Act, the recommendation of an administrative inquiry is a sine qua non.” The court further said, “Only on the ground that the DSP or other police officers did not immediately comply with certain directions issued by the judge in the name of deportation, it cannot be said that the DSP or other police officers have committed any offence under Section 4(2) of the SC/ST Act.” The High Court also took note of the serious allegations levelled against the District Judge. The court said that the serious allegations of “bias, bias and abuse of power” levelled against the judge in the petitions should be independently investigated. The High Court directed the Registrar (Vigilance) of the Madras High Court to investigate all the events, conversations and WhatsApp communications between the judge and the police officers from the filing of the complaints dated July 25, 2025 to the final order of the judge. The court ordered the report to be submitted by September 23. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy : Hindi News
Khadoor Sahib AAP MLA Maninder Singh Lalpura convicted in 12-year-old case of molestation of Dalit girl, sent to jail
Know what was the whole 12-year-old case in which 11 people including the MLA were convicted. The court will now pronounce the sentence on September 12. New Delhi: The troubles of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab are not decreasing. On Wednesday, a local court convicted Khadoor Sahib AAP MLA Maninder Singh Lalpura and 10 others in a 12-year-old molestation and assault case. Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar will announce the sentence in this case on September 12. Immediately after the court’s decision, MLA Lalpura and other present convicts were taken into custody by the police and sent to Patti sub-jail. The matter becomes more serious when it is learned that Lalpura is the fifth AAP MLA to be arrested by the police or the Vigilance Bureau in Punjab. His arrest comes just days after a rape case was registered against Sanaur MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who has been absconding since September 2. Under which sections were they convicted? The victim’s lawyer Amit Dhawan said, “MLA Lalpura and other accused have been convicted under sections 354 (assault with intent to outrage the modesty of a woman), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as section 4 of the SC/ST Act.” He further said that out of the total accused, seven people—Lalpura, Saraj Singh, Davinder Kumar, Kanwaldeep Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh and Harjinder Singh—were present in the court and were immediately taken into custody. Gagandeep Singh, Narinderjit Singh and Gurdeep Raj are yet to be arrested. Another accused Harvinder Singh Sushi is already lodged in Tihar Jail. ‘Justice was done, now expect strict punishment’ – Victim After this decision, the victim expressed happiness and said, “Today I am very happy because justice has finally won. I fought a long battle for this and during this time I also received death threats from the culprits. I hope that the court will give the harshest punishment to the culprits.” What was the 12-year-old case? This incident is of March 3, 2013. The victim, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, had come with her family to attend a wedding ceremony at a marriage palace located on Goindwal Road. It is alleged that during this time Lalpura and other accused including some personnel of Tarn Taran Police assaulted and molested her. According to the victim’s lawyer, Maninder Singh Lalpura was a taxi driver at that time. The case was so serious that the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of it and directed to provide paramilitary security to the victim, her cousin (who was an eyewitness) and their family. Lalpura defeated Congress’ Ramanjit Singh Sikki from Khadoor Sahib seat by a huge margin of 16,491 votes in the 2022 assembly elections. Opposition cornered AAP government After this verdict, opposition parties have targeted the ruling AAP government. Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa said, “An AAP leader being convicted in a molestation and assault case shows a disturbing pattern. Repeatedly, such serious allegations have been leveled against AAP leaders, which shows the open tolerance of the AAP leadership towards unethical and criminal behavior.” Shiromani Akali Dal vice-president and former Khadoor Sahib MLA Ravinder Singh Brahmpura said that Lalpura’s conviction exposes the “true criminal character” of the AAP government. He said, “This verdict has removed the mask of AAP’s ‘hardcore honesty’. After being found guilty of torturing a Dalit family, Lalpura has lost the moral right to sit in the Assembly.” Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News