Doctor accused of raping Dalit woman on false promise of marriage, case registered
Bijnor (UP), A doctor running a private hospital in the district has been accused of raping a Dalit woman employee on the pretext of marriage and forcing her to have an abortion, police said on Saturday. Dhampur Station House Officer (SHO) Mridul Kumar said that a case was registered on June 2 based on a complaint from a woman living in a village in the area. Citing the complaint, he stated that the accused belongs to another community and is already married. He said that according to the allegations made in the complaint, he had physical relations with the woman while she was working at the hospital. He said that the doctor running the hospital allegedly had physical relations with her and when the victim became pregnant, he allegedly pressured her to have an abortion. The SHO said that the matter is being investigated. Meanwhile, local BJP MLA Om Kumar met the victim on Saturday and alleged that it was a case of gang rape. Speaking to reporters, the MLA claimed that the woman was pressured to convert her religion and eat prohibited meat. Expressing dissatisfaction with the initial police action, the MLA alleged that the police neither invoked the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act nor accepted the initial application from the victim’s family. He said the Superintendent of Police has assured him of strict and thorough action in the case. Zafar Amit Courtesy : Hindi News
BJD questions Odisha govt’s grievance redressal mechanism as Dalit youth dies by suicide
Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main Opposition party in Odisha, has targeted the BJP government over the alleged suicide of a Dalit youth at the Collector’s office in Kendrapara. BJD MLAs Ganeswar Behera and Dhruba Sahoo alleged that the youth, identified as Srichandan Das, died by suicide at the Collector’s office as the officials concerned did to take any steps for redressal of his grievances. Das, a resident of Raytunidi village under Derabish block in Kendrapara, was found hanging at the Collector’s office on Friday. Preliminary investigation suggests that Das died by suicide by hanging himself from the railing of the staircase with the help of a cotton towel. Sources claimed that Das was under severe mental pressure over some issues related to his landed properties. He had reportedly approached the Sub-Collector’s office several times for resolution of the issues. “The Dalit youth was forced to take the extreme step as the officials did not take any step for redressal of his grievances. The incident has exposed how the BJP government, which claims to be a people’s government, has turned a blind eye to the problems of ordinary citizens. The incident raises serious questions about the administrative and security arrangements at the Collector’s office,” said Behera. Sahoo, meanwhile, raised questions over the grievance redressal mechanism of the state government. “The BJP government claims that it has resolved 96 per cent of the grievances through its grievance redressal mechanism. However, the suicide of the Dalit youth has exposed the reality,” he said. The Opposition party has sought a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased’s family and a thorough probe into the incident. “The BJD will launch an agitation if the state government does not take immediate steps to conduct a high-level probe into the incident and initiate stringent action against the culprits,” Sahoo added By Priya Ranjan Swain Courtesy : Sambad English Note: This news is originally published on https:/sambadenglish.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Bus services restored to dalits populated Anna Nagar in Coimbatore after ‘long-standing’ caste issue
COIMBATORE: Bus services have been restored to Anna Nagar, a Scheduled Caste residential area near Kembanur in Coimbatore’s Thondamuthur block, after two years of alleged caste-based obstruction. More than 300 SC families live in Anna Nagar. Bus services were stopped two years ago after dominant-caste individuals in Kembanur village had opposed the buses travelling the extra 500 metres to dalit-populated Anna Nagar. The dominant community complained that if buses started from Anna Nagar, dalit people would occupy all the seats, forcing other community commuters boarding at subsequent stops to travel standing. This forced Anna Nagar residents to walk 500 metres either to board buses or to reach home after alighting from them at Kembanur. But now following directions from Social Justice and Empowerment minister Vanni Arasu, the Coimbatore district collector and the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation acted to reinstate bus services to Anna Nagar. The first service from Gandhipuram (Route 21) reached Anna Nagar at 8am on Saturday. Residents welcomed the bus and distributed sweets to the driver, conductor and passengers. Protests by Left and progressive organisations, media reports, petitions and intervention by the State Commission for SC/ST had increased pressure on the administration to act. The issue was resolved after residents raised the matter directly with the minister, who treated the denial of transport access as a form of untouchability and ordered implementation of the original route plan without yielding to caste-based pressure. 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
Doctor booked for rape, forced abortion of Dalit woman employee in UP’s Bijnor
According to the complaint, the accused, who is married and belongs to another community, allegedly established physical relations with the woman while she was working at his hospital in Habib Wala. A doctor running a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district has been booked on allegations of raping a Dalit woman employee on the pretext of marriage and forcing her to undergo an abortion, police said on Saturday. The case was registered on 2 June based on a complaint filed by the woman, Dhampur SHO Mridul Kumar said. According to the complaint, the accused, who is married and belongs to another community, allegedly established physical relations with the woman while she was working at his hospital in Habib Wala. The woman alleged that the doctor pressured her to undergo an abortion after she became pregnant. Police said the allegations are under investigation. Meanwhile, local BJP MLA Om Kumar met the victim on Saturday and alleged that it was a case of gang rape. Speaking to reporters, the legislator also claimed that the woman had been pressured to change her religion and consume prohibited meat. Expressing dissatisfaction with the initial police action, the MLA alleged that the police had neither invoked the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act nor accepted the initial application from the victim’s family. He added that the superintendent of police has since assured him of strict and complete action in the matter. 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
FIR against 10 for hanging Dalit youth upside down in well over theft suspicion
Hisar: A day after a video showing a Dalit youth hanging upside down in a well went viral, Hansi police booked 10 people, including five named accused, for assault, criminal intimidation and offences under the SC/ST Act. The FIR was registered after the victim, Baru of Sorakhi village, gave his statement following the circulation of the video online. Police named Deepak, Pawan, Joga and Surender among the accused, besides five unidentified persons. Bass police station SHO Pavitra said the investigation was underway and no arrests had been made till Friday evening. The incident reportedly stemmed from allegations that the youth stole a water pump motor and sold it to a scrap dealer. According to claims made in connection with the viral video, villagers allegedly caught him while disposing of the motor and subsequently subjected him to physical assault. The video shows a group of men tying him with ropes, hanging him upside down inside a well, and assaulting him to force a confession. The youth is heard screaming and pleading to be pulled out as he is lowered headfirst into the water-filled well. The attackers, however, continue lowering him deeper into the well for nearly a minute, until he appears to agree to give information on the alleged theft. He is pulled out, only to be thrashed with sticks. The video also shows attempts to restrain him further with ropes. The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with demands for strict action against those involved. Police said further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation. 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
Kendrapara youth’s skeleton found stuffed in sack nine days after murder
Acting on the complaint, police launched an investigation and arrested one Pratap Mahakuda of Mahadeipatana for his alleged involvement in kidnap and murder of the dalit youth. KENDRAPARA: Skeleton of a missing dalit youth was found stuffed in a sack near Petapada village under Aul police limits here on Friday. Police said 23-year-old Gouranga Sethi of Mahadeipatana village went missing on May 27. After two days, his father Arun Sethi filed a complaint in Aul police station alleging that Gouranga was abducted and killed by six persons. Acting on the complaint, police launched an investigation and arrested one Pratap Mahakuda of Mahadeipatana for his alleged involvement in kidnap and murder of the dalit youth. During interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted that he along with five others killed Gouranga and dumped his body in the bushes near Petapada village after packing it in a sack. Based on the information, police scouted the area and recovered the youth’s skeleton. A shoe was also found near the skeleton. Police said the flesh of the missing youth was completely consumed by jackals, dogs and other animals. His family members identified the skeleton through the clothes and shoe. Kendrapara SP Siddharth Kataria said preliminary investigation revealed that the victim had damaged the glasses of four-wheelers of some villagers last month. Angered by the act, the vehicle owners hatched a plan to kill Gouranga. On May 27, six persons brutally assaulted the youth with iron rods and bamboo sticks, leading to his death. The skeletal remains will be sent to the FMT laboratory of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for autopsy. Officials will also collect DNA samples of the deceased’s family members to ascertain the identity of the skeleton, said Kataria. Police have registered a case under sections 103 and 238 of the BNS. Five other accused involved in the crime have fled the village. A team has been formed to trace and nab them. Further investigation is underway, the SP added. 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
Unable to sell land, dalit man ends life in Kendrapara collector’s office
26-yr-old Srichandan was trying to get permission to sell land to buyers from general category KENDRAPARA: A 26-year-old dalit man reportedly hanged himself in the Kendrapara collector’s office on Friday after being unable to sell his land to buyers from the general category. The deceased was identified as Srichandan Mallick of Raitundi village under Nikirei police limits. Police sources said Srichandan hanged himself from the iron railings of the collector’s office with a towel at around 1 pm. Due to morning office, a handful of people were present at the collectorate when the youth took the extreme step. Family members alleged that Srichandan was facing mental harassment at the hands of revenue officials. Since the last six months, the youth had been reportedly running from pillar to post to get permission from the revenue office to sell his land to buyers from the general category. Under section 22 of the Orissa Land Reforms (OLR) Act, 1960, a Scheduled Caste (SC) person cannot sell or transfer land to a general category person without prior written permission from a revenue officer. Dalit activist and former Zilla Parishad chairperson Gita Sethi claimed Srichandan was forced to end his life due to frustration over inordinate delay by revenue officers to grant him permission to transfer his property. Kendrapara IIC Suvendu Sahoo said after receiving information, police rushed to the spot and sent the deceased’s body to the district headquarters hospital for autopsy. “No suicide note was found at the spot. An investigation is underway to find out what prompted the youth to take the extreme step,” he said. Kendrapara collector Raghuram R Iyer said, “The district administration has launched an investigation into the tragic incident. We will take strict action against any official found guilty of wrongdoing and harassing the youth.” Sources said it is being alleged that cases related to land records are moving at a snail’s pace in the offices of the collector, sub-collector and revenue officers in Kendrapara. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on helpline 104 or Tele MANAS 14416) 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
Flanked by Rahul Gandhi, Kharge files Rajya Sabha nomination
Bengaluru: Accompanied by Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka at Vidhana Soudha Friday. Chief minister DK Shivakumar, former CM Siddaramaiah, Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala and several ministers were present when Kharge handed in his nomination papers to assembly secretary MK Vishalakshi. Kharge’s current tenure in the Upper House of Parliament — where he is opposition leader — ends on June 25. Besides Kharge, Congress has fielded two other candidates for the June 18 election from Karnataka — Pawan Khera, who is party media and publicity department chairman; and Mansoor Ali Khan, AICC secretary, educationist and son of Congress veteran and former Union minister K Rahman Khan. “All MLAs and my leaders have unanimously chosen me, and I am confident that everyone will remain united and ensure victory for Congress candidates,” Kharge said. Polls will be held for four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka. Given its numerical strength in the assembly, Congress is expected to win three, while the BJP-JD(S) alliance is likely to win the fourth. Kharge’s nomination marks another chapter in a political career spanning more than five decades. He won nine consecutive assembly elections from Gurmitkal between 1972 and 2008 before moving to national politics. He later won the Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 and 2014, suffering his only major electoral defeat in the 2019 elections. In 2020, Kharge entered the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka unopposed and subsequently rose to become Congress president while continuing to lead the party in Parliament. Meanwhile, BJP is yet to announce its nominee from Karnataka. Political attention remains focused on former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda, whose Rajya Sabha term has ended. Though BJP is widely expected to back Gowda for another term, the delay in announcing its candidate has triggered speculation over whether the party may instead field one of its own members. Names doing the rounds include former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh and former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, although party brass has not ruled out a surprise choice. In all, polling will be held for 24 seats across 10 states. Nominations close on Monday. 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
‘Not suicide’: Rahul Gandhi blames ‘broken system’ after NEET aspirant’s death; targets PM Modi
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday reacted to the suicide of a NEET aspirant and launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over the NEET-UG paper leak blunder. Taking to social media, the senior Congress leader referred to the case of Akanksha, a NEET aspirant who recently died by suicide following the exam fiasco. Highlighting the struggles faced by the student and her family, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, “Akanksha wanted to become a doctor and serve the nation and society. Akanksha’s father is a farmer. To fulfill his daughter’s dream of becoming a doctor, he took a loan of Rs 3 lakh on a Kisan Credit Card. And he took up a job as a cook in Nagpur, so that his daughter could attend coaching there. A father did everything he could.” Rahul Gandhi then blamed the government for what he described as a “corrupt” education system and linked Akanksha’s death to the NEET paper leak row. He said, “Then the NEET paper leaked. The exam was canceled. In that uncertainty, Akanksha left us forever. Akanksha’s death was not suicide—it’s the consequence of a corrupt, broken system under Modi ji.” The Congress leader also targeted Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reiterating the opposition’s demand for accountability in the wake of the NEET paper leak. “And Dharmendra Pradhan ji? He’s still in his chair today. The same committee. The same transfers. The same investigations. No reforms, no justice.” Rahul Gandhi further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of damaging India’s education system during his years in office. He said, “Modi ji, power is not permanent—it comes and goes. But the extent to which you’ve ruined the education system in 12 years, an entire young generation of India is paying the price for it.” His remarks come a month after the NEET-UG examination was cancelled following a paper leak. The National Testing Agency (NTA) later announced that the re-examination would be held on June 21. The cancellation affected lakhs of medical aspirants across the country, triggering widespread protests and demands for accountability. Several reports of student suicides have also surfaced in the aftermath of the NTA’s NEET failure. 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
Great Nicobar Project isn’t about defence: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Releasing a video of his visit to Nicobar that shows him diving into the sea, travelling through thick forests and talking to tribals and locals, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Modi govt’s argument that the Great Nicobar Project is about defence and a transshipment port is a “lie” – raising the tempo against the programme that has triggered concerns about environmental destruction and tribal displacement. In a 16-minute video of his April trip, Rahul said the project is about benefiting a big businessman to build hotels and casinos on India’s most irreplaceable ecosystem. He named “Adani” as the beneficiary. Rahul also initiated an online petition against the project, urging Indians to sign “we choose green over greed”. He asked the young Indians to ponder if they wanted to inherit an India where rainforests have been bulldozed for casinos, where coral reefs have been erased from maps, tribal communities pushed off their land, and the air turned into poison, or where India’s natural heritage is protected, tribal communities are safe, and progress works with nature. “More than 1.5 crore trees, ancient coral reefs, irreplaceable rainforests are being destroyed to profit one businessman.” Rahul said if govt is concerned about defence on the island, then it should abandon the project and “expand INS Baaz”, arguing that the Navy has been asking for its expansion for five years. 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