‘Nirbhaya-like’ case: UP man gets life for raping 11-year-old Dalit girl; medical report lists 14 external, internal injuries
BAREILLY: A special Pocso court in Rampur has sentenced a 26-year-old man to rigorous life imprisonment for brutally raping an 11-year-old hearing and speech impaired Dalit girl and burning her private parts with cigarettes on the night of April 15, 2025. The minor survivor, who remained critical for months with “ruptured internal organs, including uterus”, had to undergo at least three crucial surgeries in Rampur, Moradabad and Meerut. The court also imposed a hefty fine of Rs 6 lakh on the convict. “It was like Delhi’s Nirbhaya case. The girl had about 14 injuries on her body — externally, burns, bruises and deep scratches on her private parts, and her internal injuries were also very severe. She may not be able to recover at all,” said special public prosecutor, Sumit Sharma. On April 15, she went missing from her village in Rampur district and was found without clothes and with gruesome injuries in a farm the next morning. She was unconscious, and in a critical condition, Sharma added. An FIR was registered under BNS section 65 (2) (rape of woman under 12 years of age), among others, along with the Pocso and SC/ST acts following a complaint by the survivor’s mother. Rampur SP, Vidyasagar Mishra, set up three teams which apprehended the accused, Dan Singh Yadav, after a brief encounter on April 16. The accused, a labourer, was identified with the help of CCTV footage and forensic evidence, police said. “Five doctors, who operated upon her, gave their statements. A doctor at LLRM Medical College, Meerut, in her statement, said that during a medical examination, she found deep injuries on the girl’s private parts… During the surgery, a complicated diversion route was created in the stomach via the intestines,” Sharma said. Police submitted enough evidence that included CCTV footage, a packet of condoms, an empty liquor bottle and a beer can with Dan Singh’s fingerprints from the crime scene. Based on the evidence, the court of ADJ Ramgopal Singh pronounced Dan Singh guilty and delivered the verdict on Monday evening. As per the court order, the fine amount will be provided to the survivor for treatment and rehabilitation, Sharma said. Meanwhile, the child’s mother said, “Doctors told me that my daughter may not be able to live a normal life again. Dan Singh should have been hanged to death.” (The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault) 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 Christians Press For Inclusion In SC list
The protesters pointed out that in 1950, then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, issued an ordinance stating that individuals who adopt a religion other than Hinduism would not be granted Dalit status. Kurnool: Dalit Christians staged a protest at the district collectorate in Kurnool on Tuesday, demanding Scheduled Caste status for their community. They alleged that Dalit Christians are being denied access to government benefits and welfare schemes. Pastors, sisters, and believers gathered at the Gandhi statue and raised slogans urging the government to grant Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians. The protesters pointed out that in 1950, then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, issued an ordinance stating that individuals who adopt a religion other than Hinduism would not be granted Dalit status. However, six years later, Sikhs were granted Scheduled Caste status, followed by Buddhists. They have been fighting for the same recognition for the past 75 years, but their demand has yet to be met. They urged the government to take up their demand and present it to the Centre for consideration. Pastor David Arulappa, organiser Bhaskar, and others participated in the protest. Courtesy : Deccan Chronicle Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanchronicle.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Untouchability: A collective failure
Reform must come through education, economic justice, and an overhaul of relevant legal systems. Even 75 years after Independence, a damning truth confronts the country: the chains of caste oppression remain unbroken. The Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission’s report on internal reservations lays bare an uncomfortable truth – untouchability remains deeply entrenched in our social fabric. This is not merely discrimination; it is a brutal system of oppression that has adapted to modern times while retaining its medieval cruelty. The Commission’s findings shock the conscience: 75 per cent of Scheduled Caste (SC) members still face untouchability, with the Madiga community suffering the worst. The manifestations are barbaric: denial of entry to temples, exclusion from community dining, segregation in schools, separate drinking glasses, and bonded labour. Most shocking are the complaints of sexual violence and forced consumption of human excreta. All 101 SC castes in the state experience some form of discrimination, ranging from severe to moderate oppression, proving that no Dalit community is untouched by this social scourge. The report also flags a disturbing pattern in reporting these atrocities. Only relatively empowered Dalit communities are reported to have filed complaints. While ten communities accounted for more than 100 atrocity cases in the last five years, 45 registered none. This is not because they were spared but due to their dependence on the dominant castes for livelihood, fear of retaliation, and the absence of a supportive environment. The abysmal single-digit conviction rate under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, caused by police apathy, witness intimidation, and protracted trials, only emboldens perpetrators. Three urgent reforms must guide Karnataka’s response. First, education must be the equaliser. Second, economic empowerment should reach the poorest of Dalits, not just a privileged few within the community. The committee’s identification of the most marginalised subgroups can help targeted welfare policies. Third, the justice system needs an overhaul – exclusive special courts, a witness protection mechanism, and time-bound trials are non-negotiable. The report is not just a document – it is an indictment of our collective failure. Karnataka, which is home to India’s IT revolution, cannot claim progress while such dehumanising practices persist. The state must launch a comprehensive mission that combines education, economic justice, and legal reform. More importantly, civil society and political leadership must demonstrate the courage to confront this shameful reality. Until every Indian can drink from the same well, eat at the same table, and worship in the same temple, our freedom remains incomplete. Only decisive action can redeem the promise of our Constitution. 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.
Decades on, 41 Dalit families in Dharamsala await land ownership rights
As many as 41 Dalit families belonging to the Balmiki community in Dharamsala are still awaiting proprietary rights to the residential plots they have inhabited for several decades. These plots were originally allotted to them in the 1960s by Partap Singh Kairon, the then Chief Minister of the undivided Punjab. However, after the reorganisation of states and the formation of Himachal Pradesh in 1966, the new state government failed to address their longstanding demand for ownership rights. The families have been living on government land bearing ‘’khasra’’ number 3362/1013, measuring 5,113.87 square metres. Over the years, they have constructed permanent (pucca) houses on the land, and some of them are now of the second generation. Despite this, they do not hold any legal title to the land. The issue was recently taken up with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu by Devinder Jaggi, former Mayor of Dharamsala, who urged the government to grant ownership rights to the Balmiki families, who have now lived on the land for over 60 years. “I have urged the Chief Minister to resolve this decades-old issue and grant ownership rights. It will provide permanent housing security to these families and mark a landmark step towards social justice for the Balmiki community in the hill state,” said Jaggi. In response, the Chief Minister has directed the District Magistrate of Kangra, Hemraj Bairwa to look into the matter and take appropriate action. Speaking to The Tribune, Bairwa confirmed that the issue had recently come to his attention. “This is a long-pending matter. I have taken it up with the government and am hopeful that proprietary rights will soon be granted to the current occupants of these residential plots,” he said. Bairwa has forwarded his recommendations to the Additional Chief Secretary and Finance Commissioner (Revenue) for approval of land regularisation and expansion of the Dalit colonies. Article_Author Kulwinder Sandhu 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.
Akhilesh snubs EC for SIR in Bihar
Ranchi: Former UP CM and national president of Samajwadi Party (SP), Akhilesh Yadav, on Tuesday hit out at the Election Commission again over the timing of the special intensive revision (SIR), which has led to an impasse both inside Parliament and outside on the streets. On Rahul Gandhi’s alleged exposé over the voters’ list last week and the EC asking him to submit the claims under an affidavit, Yadav said, “The affidavit which EC is asking Rahul Gandhi today, we (Samajwadi Party) had already done so before the poll panel two years ago on the deletion of voters but till date there has been no action.” “BJP is now resorting to vote theft, wants to snatch the right to vote from the people through the EC,” he claimed while talking to reporters outside the Ranchi airport before heading to Nemra to pay tributes to JMM founder Shibu Soren, who died on August 4. Several VVIPs and VIPs have been visiting Nemra to pay their tributes to the ‘Dishom Guru’. Notably, chief minister Hemant Soren and his entire family are currently camping at their ancestral house in Nemra for the shradha rituals, which will take place on August 16. Yadav, who is also an MP, further said, “BJP’s tactics have been to conspire and plot when they don’t have answers to credible and basic questions. Ahead of the Bihar assembly election, when it realised that they are on a sticky wicket, it is now conspiring to manipulate votes,” he claimed. The SP president added, “SIR could have been brought in a year ago, but the reason it was introduced now ahead of the Bihar polls is to rob lakhs of people of their voting rights as part of its conspiracy.” In Nemra, Yadav met Hemant, wife Kalpana, late Shibu’s wife Roopi and other family members to offer his condolences. Taking to X after the meeting, Yadav wrote: “The life of Guruji (Shibu Soren) was full of struggle. He struggled for the rights of his people, tribal brothers and sisters, and issues of the community throughout his life. He saw political ups and downs for jal, jungle, jameen, but he did not get disappointed. He left behind a political lineage to his son Hemant Soren. We need to take it forward.” Meanwhile, Nemra is gearing up for the mega congregation of political leaders during the shradha rituals. The nondescript village is fast witnessing basic infrastructural developments as the administration has laid a PCC road leading to the hamlet, besides constructing around four helipads for ease of landing of the VVIPs. The administration has also installed a mobile phone tower among other facilities. Administrative sources said once again, Nemra is set to witness a sea of crowds on August 16, and various teams have been formed to ensure proper law and order, and other requirements. 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.
Youth Congress activists stop express train at Aurangabad to protest against police action on Rahul Gandhi
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A group of local activists from the student wing of Congress briefly detained the Nagarsol-Narasapur Express train at Aurangabad railway station on Tuesday afternoon. The action was taken in protest against police measures targeting Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The express arrived at Aurangabad railway station at around 2.10pm for a scheduled five-minute halt, during which approximately 35 activists from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) entered the station. While security forces attempted to prevent them from reaching the rail line, around eight NSUI activists climbed onto the train, shouting slogans against Centre. The police present at the scene quickly intervened and detained the activists, who were then taken to the railway police chowkey. Railway police registered an offence against eight NSUI activists, including district president Mohit Jadhav, under relevant sections of the Railways Act, 1989. All of them were released later after being served a notice under section 35(3) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Aurangabad station master Sunil Birare said the NSUI agitation did not impact the movement of trains. “The Nagarsol-Narasapur Express train had a scheduled departure from Aurangabad at 2.15 pm and left the station with a delay of only a minute. Movement of other trains was unaffected,” he said. Jadhav said the NSUI would intensify its agitation in support of Rahul Gandhi and the ‘Vote Chori’ agitation launched by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. “It is high time that we raise our voices against BJP govt in Centre to save democracy. Ours was a peaceful agitation to draw public attention to attempts to rig every poll,” he said. When contacted, Congress district president Kiran Patil Dongaonkar said he was unaware of the NSUI agitation at Aurangabad railway station. “The local unit of Congress held a protest on Monday to oppose the police detention of Rahul Gandhi. A section of NSUI activists were perhaps not present for Monday’s agitation and, therefore, held a separate protest at the railway station on Tuesday,” 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.
2024 mandate stolen from Congress: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday told Congress that the “2024 mandate” was stolen from it, as the party finalised a three-stage campaign over two months to intensify its protest against “vote chori”, starting with a nationwide torchlight march on the eve of Independence Day. At a meeting of Congress office bearers chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul is said to have remarked that the Lok Sabha election results would have gone in favour of Congress but the party was robbed of it. He is said to have mentioned that Congress lost over 40 seats owing to voter list manipulation like his “expose” on the Mahadevapura assembly constituency in Bangalore Central LS seat. Sources said Congress was doing voter list analyses in many more seats. Rahul alluded to the possibility of more revelations, when he urged patience and told reporters, “picture abhi baaki hai”. “There is not just one seat (where there is ‘vote chori’) but a number of seats. This is being done at a national level and systematically. EC knows it and we know it too,” Rahul said. Congress will take out a “mashaal ma-rch” at every district headquarters on the night of Aug 14 targeting BJP over “manipulation of voters lists”. It will then hold rallies in all state capitals between Aug 22-Sept 7. From Sept 15-Oct 15, the party will run a massive signature campaign to “save the right to vote” and to “serve as a referendum against BJP’s destruction of democracy”. All three programmes will be titled “vote chor, gaddi chhod”. The meeting included Rahul, KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kumari Selja, Jitendra Singh, Randeep Surjewala, Avinash Pande, K Raju and Bhupesh Baghel, among others. 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.
Attack on Dalit family in Mainpuri: In land dispute, miscreants pelted stones, three including a woman injured; demand for police action
In Mainpuri’s Karhal police station area, a land dispute took the form of caste violence. The incident took place on August 11, when some miscreants in village Ustan tried to close the road by filling the foundation in front of a Dalit family’s house. Radha Devi Balmiki told in her complaint to the SP that when she protested, Raju, Bablu, Bunty, Avnish and Ramsevak Shakya attacked her family with bricks and stones. In this attack, her daughter Kavita suffered serious head injury. Her husband and daughter-in-law Mona were also injured. The accused abused the victim’s family using caste-related language and threatened that they would not let their family live in the village. The victim’s family alleges that the police station did not take any action on their complaint. The video of the incident is going viral on social media. When they appealed to the SP for justice, he assured them of action. The victim’s family said that they did not want any fight but theirs was the only house in the village and the Shakya community was in majority. Ashish Kumar Courtesy : Hindi News
In a historic first, Dalit granted entry into Kallahalli Gullarahatti hamlet in Karnataka: Report
Kudligi: In a notable step towards dismantling entrenched caste discrimination, a Dalit was granted entry into Kallahalli Gullarahatti hamlet in Karnataka’s Kudligi taluk for the first time since Independence, The New Indian Express reported on Tuesday. The breakthrough came after Kudligi MLA N.T. Srinivas and the taluk administration intervened when villagers recently barred a Dalit official from entering the settlement to conduct a survey. Believing that the presence of Dalits would bring misfortune, villagers had historically denied them access. Tahasildar V.K. Netravati, informed of the incident, visited the hamlet along with officials and admonished villagers for adhering to superstitious and unconstitutional practices. The settlement, located on the border and predominantly inhabited by around 130 Yadav households, eventually agreed to allow the Dalit officer entry, marking a break from decades-old exclusionary customs. Srinivas said that following such discriminatory practices, whether knowingly or otherwise, violated constitutional values. “The villagers’ decision to welcome Dalits is a progressive step in terms of development and social justice, as such discriminatory practices are detrimental to society,” TNIE quoted him as saying. Tahasildar Netravati mentioned that officials held a meeting with residents to explain constitutional provisions and the consequences of persisting with caste-based restrictions. “The villagers agreed to respect and welcome Dalit youths and groups into their community,” Tahasildar said. Apart from the ban on Dalits, the villagers reportedly force menstruating women to stay in separate hu Courtesy : Vartha Bharati Note: This news is originally published on https:/varthabharati.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Dalit Basti’s drain broken: Dirty water spread on roads in Khamaria of Saughat, people facing problems in movement
People are troubled due to broken drain in Dalit Basti of Gram Panchayat Khamaria located in Saughat of Basti district. Dirty water is spreading on roads from the drain. This is obstructing movement. Local residents Nagendra Kumar, Suchit Kumar, Mahesh Kumar, Sanyam, Sundar and Dhoop Chand said that water is not able to drain out from the broken drain. This has created a situation of waterlogging in the area. Dirty water is spreading due to this. This can cause health problems. Local people have demanded the Gram Panchayat administration to get the drain repaired. They say that their daily routine is getting affected due to this problem. A quick solution is being demanded from the administration. Arun Kumar, Gandharia Faiz Courtesy: Hindi News