Man gets life term for killing Dalit farmer who objected to daughter-in-law’s harassment
Agra: Nearly 17 years after a Dalit farmer was beaten to death in Mainpuri for objecting to the harassment of his daughter-in-law, a local SC/ST court on Wednesday sentenced the prime accused to life imprisonment. Police said the victim, Saheb Singh, had raised a complaint against his neighbour’s son, Anand Kumar (now 48), for allegedly stopping his daughter-in-law on the way — an act that led to tensions between the two families. Additional district govt counsel (ADGC) MP Singh said the killing took place on Dec 22, 2008, in Mainpuri’s Gangsi village, when Saheb Singh, who was in his late 40s at the time of the incident, and his son Ashok were returning home from their fields. They were attacked with heavy objects by three men. Both sustained serious injuries, and Saheb later died during treatment. In her police complaint, Saheb’s wife alleged that Anand, his father Munnalal Rai (then 50) and his uncle Hari Prakash (then 52) thrashed her husband and son. Munnalal also hurled casteist slurs and incited others. The attackers allegedly used whips and sticks to beat them. Police registered a case under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act. A chargesheet was filed soon after the arrests. While Munnalal and Hari Prakash died during the trial, Anand Kumar was convicted and sent to jail on Wednesday. The court also imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on him. 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 to visit Gujarat on July 26 for district Congress chiefs’ training
Gandhinagar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Gujarat on July 26 to attend the training of newly-appointed district chiefs of the state. These leaders were appointed following a “consultative process” involving stakeholders at grassroots levels as part of a pilot project to revive the party in the state. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Artificial Intelligence A senior party source told ET that domain experts from various sectors would beparticipating in the along with members of Congress IT Cell to train the district presidents in Anand. “The process of party reorganisation is ongoing and is being fine-tuned here,” said another party leader. Courtesy : TET Note: This news is originally published on https://theeconomictimes.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Kejriwal seized Rahul Gandhi’s ‘baraat ke ghode’ statement, took a jibe at him in Gujarat rally
Arvind Kejriwal has strongly attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s baraat ke ghode statement. Kejriwal took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat rally and said that all the baraat ke ghodes in Congress are only baraat ke ghodes. New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had made a big statement on 3 June 2025 in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, in which he said that now the time has come to separate the race horses and the wedding horses. At the same time, now Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has taunted him in a meeting in Gujarat. Arvind Kejriwal said that according to Rahul Gandhi, there are some race horses and some wedding horses in his party. But I want to say that all in Congress are wedding horses and all in AAP are long race horses. What did Rahul Gandhi say? In fact, while addressing his workers in Bhopal, Rahul Gandhi had said that there are many such workers in the party who work for the party with full strength. While there are many workers who are now tired of the race. In such a situation, now the time has come that the race horses and the wedding horses will have to be separated. Rahul Gandhi further said that I used to say earlier that there are two types of horses but now I believe that there are not two but three types of horses. One is a race horse, one is a wedding horse and the third is a lame horse. Now the time has come to separate the lame horse. If such workers harass the other horses i.e. workers, then action will be taken against them. Congress became arrogant in 1985: Arvind Kejriwal Arvind Kejriwal said that in 1985, Congress got majority in Gujarat, but in 2 years, it became arrogant and opened fire on the farmers, 10 farmers were killed there. After that, Congress could never return to Gujarat. Now BJP also has the same arrogance. With the martyrdom of Ashok Chaudhary ji, the countdown of BJP has started. The oppression on cattle rearers will not be tolerated anymore. If the government will raise the lathi again, then first of all it will have to use it on us. We will fight till our last breath for the rights of cattle rearers and farmers. PM goes abroad to get contract for Adani: Kejriwal Arvind Kejriwal said that PM goes abroad to get contract for Adani, but when a farmer of Gujarat asks for bonus, he is beaten with sticks. This is not a government of the poor, but of industrialists and the rich. Curated by: Sanjeev Kumar About the author Sanjeev Kumar is a resident of Begusarai, Bihar. He has studied journalism from West Bengal University. He has more than 5 years of experience in digital media. He covers local to national and current affairs. Before joining Navbharat Times, he has worked in institutions like Jagran New Media, One India and Amar Ujala. Courtesy: Hindi News
Hong Kong judge rules in favor of transgender bathroom access
HONG KONG: A Hong Kong judge on Wednesday ruled to strike down regulations criminalizing the use of bathrooms designated for the opposite sex, ruling in favor of transgender individuals’ rights to access public toilets matching their identity. Judge Russell Coleman approved the judicial review of K, who was born a woman and identifies as a man, saying the regulations contravene an article of the city’s mini-constitution that stipulates all residents should be equal before the law. But he suspended the declaration to strike down the regulations for a year to allow the government “to consider whether it wishes to implement a way to deal with the contravention.” He said in the judgement that the regulations and “drawing the line of a person’s biological sex at birth create a disproportionate and unnecessary intrusion into the privacy and equality rights.” The ruling marks another step forward in recognizing the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Chinese financial hub. In recent years, the government has revised policies following activists’ wins in legal challenges. Currently, only children under 5 years old accompanied by an opposite sex adult can enter a public washroom designated for the opposite sex. Those violating the rule face a fine of up to 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $255). K launched a legal challenge in 2022, seeking to expand the exemption to pre-operative transgender people who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and have a medical need to undergo the process of living in their identified gender. He argued that his constitutional rights were infringed by the prohibition against him using public toilets allocated for men, the court heard. The government did not immediately comment. Quarks, a group serving transgender youth in Hong Kong, welcomed the ruling, urging officials to take immediate action to rectify what it called long-standing discrimination in the system. “The ruling is not just an affirmation of transgender rights legally but also a big step forward for Hong Kong’s overall human rights development,” it said on Instagram. In 2023, Hong Kong’s top court ruled that full sex reassignment surgery should not be a prerequisite for transgender people to have their gender changed on their official identity cards. The next year, the government revised its policy to allow people who have not completed full gender-affirmation surgery to change their genders on ID cards as long as they fulfill certain conditions. The conditions include the removal of breasts for transgender men, the removal of the penis and testes for transgender women, and having undergone continuous hormonal treatment for at least two years before applying. Applicants also have to continue their hormonal treatment and submit blood test reports for random checks upon the government’s request. In April, activist Henry Tse, who won the legal battle in 2023 and received his new ID card reflecting his gender change last year, lodged a fresh legal challenge over the new 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.
US Olympic bans transgender: List of all athletes who can’t compete in the women’s sports events
The US Olympic and Para-Olympic Committee has announced that, from August 1, 2025, transgender women who have undergone male puberty will be banned from competing in women’s events. A new law signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025 gives effect to this change. Big sports bodies like USA Swimming, USA Fencing, and USA Track & Field are now making similar changes. The change has created buzz and strong opinions all over the country. Now, attention is placed on those athletes who have been affected. Transgender athletes who can no longer compete Some of the transgender athletes who are directly affected or already blocked from competing: — abc (@abc) CeCe Telfer – Track & Field A track runner who tried for the 2020 Trials, was already ruled ineligible by USA Track & Field before this change. Chelsea Wolfe – BMX Cycling A BMX rider who made it to Team USA in 2021, will no longer be able to compete. International cycling already has a similar ban in place. JayCee Cooper – Powerlifting JayCee Cooper is a transgender powerlifter, lost a legal case about competing in women’s sports in Minnesota. With the new rule, she won’t be able to take part either. Lia Thomas – Swimming Lia Thomas was the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA women’s swimming title in 2022. She had hoped to try for the Olympics one day, but after World Aquatics banned transgender women in elite races, and now with the USOPC rule, she’s not allowed to compete for Team USA either. Andraya Yearwood & Terry Miller – High school runners These two transgender girls from Connecticut got attention for competing in girls’ high school track races. Their wins started a national debate. While they were not Olympic athletes, this new rule affects all levels, including school and college. They would not be allowed on women’s teams if they were trying to compete now. Wider impact on schools and college-level athletes Many transgender girls in U.S. schools are also being banned from girls’ teams especially in states with strict laws. This national-level change adds to that. This rule affects all transgender women who went through male puberty, even if they’ve taken hormones or transitioned years ago. The change also applies to youth and college sports under the Olympic system. Some groups are upset. The National Women’s Law Center said this new rule is “unfair” and could hurt the rights and mental health of many young athletes. Meanwhile, sports organizations across the world are watching closely. Swimming, track, and cycling already have strict rules for trans women. Now the U.S. has taken a big step too. 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.
Will show people in ‘black & white’ how BJP is stealing elections: Rahul
NEW DELHI: The opposition offensive against the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls brought Parliament proceedings to a halt for the third successive day on Wednesday, with leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi calling the exercise a BJP “ploy to steal elections”. Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha raised slogans like “SIR wapas lo ” and entered the well of the House carrying placards while in Rajya Sabha, the opposition, besides raising the issue, also demanded that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge be allowed to speak. The govt, amid the din, introduced two sports-related bills in LS. tnn Will show people in ‘black & white’ how BJP is stealing elections: Rahul Rajya Sabha saw its first adjournment after it met at 11am, and the second at noon. When it assembled for the third time at 2pm, it was adjourned for the day. During a protest by a large contingent of opposition MPs at the main entrance of Parliament over the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi raised questions about polling in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, and said he would show the people and the Election Commission “in black and white” how the theft of votes is being done. Congress has unearthed BJP’s strategy of election manipulation by studying a sample constituency in Karnataka, Gandhi said. The party spent six months compiling voters’ lists in digital format followed by a “deep dive”, and exposed BJP’s strategy of adding new voters there, Gandhi claimed, adding this was done as EC does not provide the list in electronic format, and paper lists cannot be analysed. BJP also “stole (assembly) elections in Maharashtra, but the opposition has spotted its gameplan”, he said. Amid reports that 52 lakh voters were being dropped in Bihar, Gandhi said, “It is not just about 52 lakh. It is not just about Bihar, they cheated in Maharashtra. We have asked questions to EC, asked it to show us the voters list, they did not show us the list. We asked for videography, they changed the law. One crore new voters had come in Maharashtra and the election was stolen. Now, they are redoing the system in Bihar, in a new way. Delete the voters and make the voter list afresh. Elections are being stolen in India and that is the reality.” 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.
23-year-old Dalit man found dead 12km away from where he went missing, cremated without ID check in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad: For nearly four agonizing weeks, the family of 23-year-old Chirag Vala searched across the city, clinging to hope. What they didn’t know was that the Dalit youth from Vejalpur had been found dead — just a day after he went missing — and quietly cremated by the police as an “unclaimed” body. The police apathy and failure of inter-departmental coordination meant his family never got a chance to say goodbye. A sanitation worker by morning and an autorickshaw driver for an app-based service by day, Chirag lived in the Boot Bhavani slums of Vejalpur. He left home early on June 23, without his phone or Aadhaar card — a detail that deepens his family’s suspicion that he may have been forcibly taken. When he did not return that night, his family approached the Vejalpur police station. Instead of lodging a formal missing complaint, officers reportedly told the family to wait and cited rath yatra bandobast as the reason for their inaction, alleged family members. When the family returned the next day, police reportedly just made a ‘janva jog (station diary note)”, and no FIR was filed. Desperate, the family handed over 28 photos of Chirag to assist the police. What Vejalpur police did not know was that on June 24, Bopal police recovered an unidentified male body from the Telav canal, just 12 kilometres from where Chirag went missing. Bopal police took the decomposed body to a community health centre, then shifted it to Civil Hospital, Asarwa, said police officers. “Yet, no one from Bopal police made the effort to match the unidentified body with any missing person records from nearby police stations, a critical oversight,” alleged the victim’s mother Vali Vala. Meanwhile, Chirag’s family continued appealing to senior officers and scanning CCTV footage. “After seven days, on July 1, we cremated the body as unclaimed,” said a Bopal police officer. The truth surfaced only after Chirag’s wife, Manisha Vala, filed a habeas corpus petition in Gujarat high court on July 19. That evening, a Bopal police official called the family, asking them to visit the police station. There, male relatives were shown a photograph of Chirag’s lifeless body. “When the family members identified him, we were told that his body had already been cremated,” said Vali. “My son was murdered. We were not even allowed to see his face one last time. This happened because Vejalpur and Bopal police failed to speak to each other,” said the grieving mother. Activist Rakesh Maheria, who supported the family’s search, criticised the police: “Both police stations failed miserably. This is not mere negligence, it is inhuman.” Had there been timely sharing of information, the body could have been identified earlier, allowing the family to perform the last rites, he added. Confirming the chain of events, Bopal police inspector B T Gohil said that the body was cremated after seven days as no one had claimed it. When asked whether any state-wide alert or coordination with other stations was done, he said: “That’s probably done after a month.” 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.
Tiruchy church discrimination row: Bishop skips car procession
However, when revenue officials tried to hold a mediation meeting locally, Dalit representatives insisted that either the Bishop or a senior diocesan official must be present. TIRUCHY: A day after Dalit Christians alleged they were facing discrimination in the St Mary Magdalene Church at Kottapalayam near Thuraiyur, which comes under the Diocese of Kumbakonam, Bishop Jeevanandam Amalanathan boycotted the annual chariot procession on Tuesday. Over 20 Dalit Christian families hoisted black flags in their homes and boycotted the final day of the church’s 12-day annual festival which began on July 14. On Monday, a section of them sat on a hunger strike near the collectorate and submitted a petition during the weekly grievances meeting demanding equal rights in church administration and rituals. Speaking to TNIE, Collector V Saravanan said, “We have constituted a peace committee to address the issue. The RDO will conduct an inquiry. The existing laws are clear.” However, when revenue officials tried to hold a mediation meeting locally, Dalit representatives insisted that either the Bishop or a senior diocesan official must be present. “This is not simply Dalits versus non-Dalits issue. The church administration is part of the discrimination,” said J Doss Prakash, a Dalit Christian parishioner. “The festival committee is entirely controlled by non-Dalits. We are denied basic rights like paying subscription or take part in the planning. Even after decades, not even a small chariot enters our streets.” he added. Adding weight to the protest, Bishop Jeevanandam Amalanathan boycotted the procession, citing the ongoing caste tensions and the diocese’s alleged inability to resolve the matter. A peace meeting involving stakeholders is expected to be arranged later this week. Pearson Lenekar SR Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https://thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Andhra court allows re-investigation into Dalit youth’s murder by YSRCP MLC
A Special Court for SC/ST cases in Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh, has granted permission for a re-investigation into the alleged 2022 murder of Dalit youth Veedhi Subrahmanyam by YSRCP MLC Ananta Uday Bhaskar. The court directed that a supplementary charge sheet be filed within 90 days. A Special Court for SC/ST cases in Rajamahendravaram town of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, July 22, allowed further investigation into the 2022 murder of a Dalit youth by YSRCP MLC Ananta Uday Bhaskar. The court directed that the supplementary charge sheet in the case should be filed in 90 days. The court order has cleared the way for re-investigation of the case ordered by the TDP-led NDA government. YSRCP leader and Kakinada MLC Ananta Uday Bhaskar, also known as Ananta Babu, had allegedly murdered his former driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam, a Dalit, and dumped his body at his residence in 2022. Ananta Babu had pushed the deceased during an argument, resulting in his fall and death on the night of May 19, 2022. The MLC also allegedly inflicted injuries on Subrahmanyam’s body to present it as a death in a road accident. However, the driver’s family refused to believe his version and lodged a complaint with the police. The MLC was arrested, and the YSRCP had subsequently suspended him from the party. The MLC had told police that Subrahmanyam was in an inebriated condition, and he pulled him up for not giving up bad habits. He claimed that it angered the driver, who allegedly questioned him. Allegedly enraged over this, the MLC held him by the neck and pushed. Subrahmanyam fell down and sustained head injuries. When the driver tried to hit back, the MLC pushed him again, and this time, the driver received a grievous head injury, he claimed. The MLC told police that he gave water to Subrahmanyam, but a few minutes after taking a sip, he was unresponsive. The legislator then thought of showing the incident as a road accident. He carried the body in the car to a dumping yard, where he inflicted injuries on the body with sticks. The MLC later carried the body to Subrahmanyam’s house and told his family members that he died in a road accident. After seeing the nature of injuries on the body, they refused to believe his version. There was an argument between them, and the MLC subsequently left the place, leaving behind the body in his car. As the investigation officer failed to submit the charge sheet within 90 days, Ananta Babu was released on default bail in December 2022. After the TDP-led coalition government came to power last year, it decided to re-investigate the case. In April this year, the government ordered re-investigation. Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and Kakinada DSP Manish Devraj Patil was appointed as the investigation officer. The investigating officer was asked to take the court’s permission. Written by : IANS Courtesy : TNM Note: This news is originally published on https://thenewsminute.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
16-year-old Dalit boy sexually assaulted by 7 minors after he lost Rs 50 bet in Uttar Pradesh
MEERUT: A 16-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by as many as seven youths (all minors) after he lost a Rs 50 bet during a cricket match and could not pay. The culprits recorded a video of the incident and circulated it among peers, who also sexually assaulted him several times by threatening to upload the clip on social media. Though the initial assault took place nearly a month ago at a village in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, the complaint was lodged only on Monday after the traumatised boy could not bear it any longer and narrated his ordeal to his family. The boy’s father said his son was so traumatised that he did not step out of the house for days. “The boy was sexually assaulted several times by the group members, all minors, on the pretext of his obscene video,” said circle officer Vaibhav Pandey. “Following a complaint, an FIR under sections 3 (2)(5) of the SC/ST Act, and 3A and 4 of the Pocso Act has been registered against seven youths, and three of them have been detained. Medical examination of the victim was done and his statements were recorded. Investigation is on. The dispute over the cricket match bet is also being investigated,” said Pandey. 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.