Rajasthan: 13-year-old tribal girl brutally assaulted; case filed under POCSO and SC/ST Act, but no arrests even after three days
Three days after the incident, the accused have not been arrested. Jodhpur – A serious case has been registered at the Karvad police station in Jodhpur, alleging assault, molestation, and caste-related insults against a minor tribal girl. The incident reportedly occurred on February 5th at around 6:30 pm in Kelava Kala village. The victim’s mother filed a written complaint at the police station on February 6th at around 5 pm. According to the complaint, she received information that her daughter had been severely beaten and seriously injured by the accused, Sunil Godara, and his mother. Upon arriving at the scene, she found her daughter lying unconscious and covered in blood, with deep injuries to her face, ears, and nose. The victim stated that Sunil used caste-related slurs like “lowly, bastard, Bhil woman,” pulled her hair, pulled her down, climbed on top of her, and attempted to molest her. He even tore her clothes. Upon hearing the screams, Sunil’s mother came and the two men assaulted her, threatening to kill her and harm her family if she told anyone. The police registered a case based on the complaint. Sections 115(2) (assault/voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (offences intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), 3(5) (general section) of the Indian Penal Code (BNS), 2023, sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(va), 3(1)(w)(i) (caste-related insults, intimidation, molestation, etc.) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (amended 2015), and sections 7 and 8 (relating to child sexual abuse) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 (amended) have been invoked. The investigation of the case has been assigned to ACP Anil Kumar Sharma, Mandore, Jodhpur. Three days after the incident, the accused have not been arrested. Advocate Bhatraj Jogson has alleged that the accused enjoy political protection, which is delaying action. There is widespread anger among the Bahujan community on social media, where people are demanding strict action and justice. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
False case against Dalit using forged documents? Will SC/ST Act apply? Kerala High Court’s major ruling
The High Court said, “When it is prima facie established that the suit filed… is false, malicious, or vexatious, particularly by using a forged plaint document, when the defendants are members of the Scheduled Castes and the plaintiffs are not members of the Scheduled Castes, the offence under Section 3(1)(q) of the SC and ST (POA) Act will prima facie be attracted.” Kochi—The Kerala High Court has held in a significant ruling that filing a false, malicious, or vexatious suit against a member of the Scheduled Castes (SC) using forged documents constitutes an offence under Section 3(1)(q) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. A single bench of Justice A. Badruddin, on February 3, in the CRL.A. The decision was delivered in Court No. 2214 of 2025, in which the appellant, Velayudhan, a 68-year-old Dalit man, challenged an order of the Special SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Court in Thrissur. According to the case, Velayudhan filed a case at the Irinjalakuda police station. The allegation was that HIGHWAY KURIES PVT LTD and its Managing Director, Subhash, had filed a lawsuit, presenting a forged promissory note. This note was purportedly signed by Velayudhan and his father, but both denied it in written statements. The accused party withdrew the case after the complaint was filed. The complaint alleged offenses under sections 465, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 3(1)(p) and 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST Act. During the investigation, the Deputy Superintendent of Police filed a report on October 22, 2024, stating that the Koori company was unaware of the complainant’s caste, and therefore, the charges under the SC/ST Act should be dropped. On August 26, 2025, the Special Court dismissed the application in CRL.MP No. 1160/2024, which sought monitoring of the investigation. The court stated that the investigating officer’s report showed that the accused was unaware of the caste and had no criminal intent. The High Court, after hearing the appeal, ruled that the deemed acceptance of the investigating officer’s report by the Special Court was incorrect. The court said, “When it is prima facie established that the suit filed… is false, malicious or vexatious, particularly by using a forged plaint document, when the defendants therein are members of the Scheduled Castes and the plaintiffs are not members of the Scheduled Castes, the offence under Section 3(1)(q) of the SC and ST (POA) Act would prima facie be attracted.” The court cited Section 8(c) of the SC/ST Act, which came into effect from January 26, 2016. It states that if the accused has personal knowledge of the victim or his family, the court shall presume that the accused was aware of the caste of the victim, unless the contrary is proved. The court observed, “When a Kuri company engaged in the business of chitty (VC), after acquiring knowledge of the subscriber, deals with the subscriber for its Kuri transaction, and then files a case to recover the amount due under the Kuri transaction on the basis of an allegedly forged promissory note, the Kuri company cannot be considered to be a person who was unaware of the caste identity of the defendant in the case, especially when the knowledge of the accused’s caste identity is a matter of conjecture unless the contrary is proved by evidence.” The court upheld the offence under Section 3(1)(q) but did not comment separately on Section 3(1)(p). Partially allowing the appeal, the court partially set aside the special court’s order. The request for monitoring of the investigation was rejected, but directed that the investigating officer obtain the promissory note from the court and have the signatures examined by a forensic laboratory. The final report should be filed in the special court after obtaining expert opinion. This decision is significant in cases of false prosecution and forged documents under the SC/ST Act, as it strengthens the statutory presumption regarding caste information and emphasizes the need for thorough investigation. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
Odisha: Anganwadi in Nuagaon Shuts After Villagers Refuse to Let Dalit Woman Cook for Children
Odisha Anganwadi Shuts as Villagers Bar Dalit Woman In rural Odisha, deep-rooted caste prejudice has forced the closure of an anganwadi centre in Nuagaon village, Rajnagar block, Kendrapara district, for nearly three months. Parents have reportedly stopped sending their children to the centre after a 23-year-old Dalit woman, Sarmista Sethi, was appointed as a helper-cum-cook on November 24, 2025. According to Sarmista, villagers from upper-caste families openly resisted her appointment, saying their children would not eat food prepared by a Dalit woman. The village committee, which also included instructions for Dalit households, reportedly told families not to send their children to the centre. “After my appointment, some upper-caste villagers warned me not to cook for the children. When I refused, they stopped sending their kids. Even women stopped coming to the centre,” Sarmista said. Around 45 families, including seven Dalit households, live in the riverside village. The social boycott has affected nearly 60 children who are now deprived of anganwadi services. Pregnant and lactating women have also stopped visiting the centre, missing out on crucial health benefits, according to Ghadiamala sarpanch Sailendra Mishra. “We have repeatedly urged villagers to send their children, but they have not listened,” he said. Anganwadi worker Lizarani Pandav informed the chief development project officer (CDPO) of Rajnagar block about the situation. CDPO Dipali Mishra said, “We have been trying to convince parents to send their children. The tehsildar and I held discussions with villagers, but the issue remains unresolved.” A team of Dalit leaders visited Nuagaon village on Tuesday, demanding legal action against those preventing children and women from attending the centre. Nagen Jena, district president of Dalit Samaj, cited the 2004 Supreme Court interim order in PUCL vs Government of India, which prioritises SC/ST candidates as cooks in midday meal schemes. Kendrapara district collector Raghuram R Iyer said he has directed the district social welfare officer to submit a detailed report. “After receiving the report, appropriate action will be taken against those who are illegally preventing children and women from attending the anganwadi centre. We are also trying to resolve the matter amicably through discussions with villagers,” he added. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit cardinal elected head of Indian bishops’ body
Cardinal Anthony Poola — India’s first Dalit cardinal — was elected Saturday as the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, a body uniting the country’s three main rites. The Feb. 7 appointment highlights the significant role that Dalits — who occupy the lowest rung in India’s traditional caste hierarchy — play within the Catholic Church in India. But while almost two-thirds of India’s Catholics are believed to be Dalits, they are under-represented in the priesthood and episcopate. Indian Catholics hailed Poola’s appointment as a historic step following centuries of discrimination against Dalits within the Church. Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak, president of the CBCI’s Commission for Castes and Other Disadvantaged Groups, told AsiaNews: “The president is elected by secret ballot, according to long-established statutes. By choosing Cardinal Poola for his merits, the bishops have sent a clear and prophetic message to those who still carry with them the logic of castes (both as perpetrators and victims): Dalits and tribal people can be leaders in the Church at all levels.” Poola, the 64-year-old Latin Catholic Archbishop of Hyderabad, was chosen to succeed the Syro-Malabar Archbishop Andrews Thazhath at a Feb. 4-10 CBCI meeting in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Thazhath had led the assembly of bishops since 2022. Poola, the first Dalit to serve as CBCI president, takes up the role at a time of rising fear among India’s Christians, following a series of attacks before Christmas. A CBCI press release said: “With his election as president of the CBCI, Cardinal Poola Anthony assumes leadership of the Catholic Church in India at a crucial moment, bringing with him decades of pastoral experience, administrative leadership, and a strong commitment to the Church’s mission in service of faith, justice, and human dignity.” The CBCI issued a document in 2016 calling for “Dalit empowerment” in the Church. The text acknowledged that “practices of untouchability do exist in the Church” and set out policies to eliminate discrimination. The document estimated that around 12 million of India’s 19 million Catholics were Dalits. It said that Dalits only accounted for 1,130 out of the country’s 27,000 priests (4.2%) and 4,500 out of 100,000 religious (4.5%). The first Dalit Catholic bishop, Bishop John Mulagada, was appointed in 1977. In 2016, only 12 of India’s 180 bishops were Dalits (6.6%). In March 2025, India’s Supreme Court agreed to examine a petition alleging bias against Dalit Catholics in a parish in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The petitioners, from a parish in the village of Kottapalayam, in the Latin Rite Diocese of Kumbakonam, said they had experienced discrimination within the Church from members of the upper caste. The CBCI, established in 1944 and based in New Delhi, brings together India’s Latin Rite, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara bishops to take common action on issues affecting the wider Catholic Church in India. The CBCI’s presidency informally rotates between India’s three sui iuris Churches, and other senior roles are carefully balanced. Also elected Feb. 7 were the Syro-Malankara Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos as the CBCI’s first vice-president and Syro-Malabar Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt as second vice-president. Archbishop Anil Couto, the Latin Catholic Archbishop of Delhi, was re-elected as the CBCI’s secretary general. Anthony Poola was born in Poluru, a village in India’s southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, on Nov. 15, 1961, to a Catholic father and a Hindu mother. He was ordained a priest of the Latin Rite Diocese of Cuddapah in 1992. From 2001 to 2003, he studied for a master’s degree in pastoral care and attended a theology course at Loyola University Chicago, while serving in the city’s St. Genevieve parish. In 2008, he was named Bishop of Kurnool, his birth diocese. In 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Hyderabad, the capital of the south-central Indian state of Telangana. The Hyderabad archdiocese serves around 117,000 Catholics, out of a total population of almost 15 million. In 2022, Poola became the first Dalit to be appointed to the College of Cardinals. He was also the first cardinal to be a native speaker of Telugu, a language spoken by almost 100 million people, mainly based in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, the Latin Catholic Bishop of Daltonganj, told UCA News Feb. 8 that Poola’s election as CBCI president would “send a strong message to Christians of Dalit origin that the Church upholds the dignity of everyone.” Luke Coppen Courtesy : The Pillar Note: This news is originally published on https:/thepillar.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit girl molested in Rae Bareli: While returning from school after taking an exam, bees raised an alarm.
The emboldenment of miscreants is steadily increasing in Rae Bareli district, where Mission Shakti appears to be failing. The entire incident took place in the Unchahar sugarcane region of Rae Bareli district. A student from a village in the sugarcane region was returning home from school after taking an exam when she was molested by miscreants. Following the investigation, police have launched an investigation. The student, a resident of a village in the area, stated that she is a Class 11 student at a school in Babuganj. On Monday, while returning home on her bicycle after taking the annual exam, two young men from the village stopped her on the way and molested her. When the girl’s father arrived at the scene, the men fled. The girl stated that the young men had behaved in this manner on several occasions. The bees raised the issue with her father. Police Inspector Ajay Kumar Rai stated that the matter will be investigated and action will be taken against the conspiracy. Mahatab Ahmed | Dinshah Gaura (Rae Bareli), Rae Bareli Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit youth brutally assaulted, loses in one eye
Bhadohi: A Dalit youth was brutally assaulted here and lost eyesight in one eye after an attacker allegedly pierced a motorcycle key when an argument over the former defecating near a canal escalated, police said on Monday.The injured youth, Rahul, in early 20’s, was referred in a critical condition from the district hospital to Varanasi on Sunday for advanced treatment. According to police, the incident took place on Friday afternoon when Rahul had gone to a canal in the Aurai area to defecate. This resulted in an argument between the victim and the accused, Shankar Bind, as the latter objected to Rahul defecating near the canal. The attacker allegedly abused Rahul using caste-based slurs and assaulted him. When Rahul tried to escape, the accused allegedly pierced a motorcycle key in his left eye and threatened to kill him, Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said, adding that the victim collapsed on the ground in severe pain. The accused fled the spot after locals gathered there. The SP said police reached the spot after receiving information and shifted the injured youth to a community health centre, from where he was later admitted to the district hospital. “As the injury to his left eye was severe, and he complained of loss of vision, doctors on Sunday referred him to the BHU Trauma Centre in Varanasi,” Manglik said. Courtesy : THI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehansindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit Boy’s House Torched After Inter-Caste Marriage In Mancherial
The accused allegedly poured kerosene on Surender’s house and set it ablaze on Saturday. No one was present inside the house at the time of the incident: Police ADILABAD: The Mancherial police have registered cases and arrested three persons after a bridegroom’s house was set on fire following an inter-caste marriage in Dampur village of Bheemaram mandal in Mancherial district. According to police, the incident occurred after a woman from a BC community married Surender, a Dalit youth. The accused were identified as the woman’s father Cheruku Laxman and her brothers Anji and Sampath.Police said the accused allegedly poured kerosene on Surender’s house and set it ablaze on Saturday. No one was present inside the house at the time of the incident. Based on a complaint lodged by Surender’s parents, cases were registered against the three under relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and other provisions of law. All three were arrested, police said. Officials said further investigation into the incident is under way. Pillalamarri Srinivas 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
Telangana: Dalit man’s house set on fire after inter-caste marriage; three arrested
The incident occurred in Dampur village, Bheemaram Mandal, Mancherial district. The three accused include the woman’s father Cheruku Laxman, her brothers Sampath and Anji. Mancherial Police arrested three people and registered a case against them after a Dalit boy’s house was set on fire for inter-caste marriage in Dampur village, Bheemaram Mandal, Mancherial district, Tv9 Telugu reported. Police said that the incident occurred after a woman from BC community married Surender, a young man from Dalit community. The three accused include the woman’s father Cheruku Laxman, her brothers Sampath and Anji. Surender, Anjali intended to get married despite objections from family: Anjali, Surender were in a relationship and intended to get married despite objections fro her family. The couple asked for help from the police, who conducted a counselling session for her family. They told her family that they were both consenting adults and cannot be prevented from getting married. The couple got married later and the family believed that she brought ‘dishonour’ to their reputation. Anjali’s brothers, and her father attacked Surender and poured Kerosene on his house and set it on fire on Saturday. No one was at home during the time of the incident, reports said. Family booked under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act: A case was registered based on the complaint lodged by Surender’s parents and the accused have been booked under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, police said. Pavitra Bhashyam Courtesy : News Nine Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsnine.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit youth brutally assaulted, loses eyesight in one eye in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi
The injured youth, Rahul, in early 20’s, was referred in a critical condition from the district hospital to Varanasi on Sunday for advanced treatment. Bhadohi (UP): A Dalit youth was brutally assaulted here and lost eyesight in one eye after an attacker allegedly pierced a motorcycle key when an argument over the former defecating near a canal escalated, police said on Monday. The injured youth, Rahul, in early 20’s, was referred in a critical condition from the district hospital to Varanasi on Sunday for advanced treatment. According to police, the incident took place on Friday afternoon when Rahul had gone to a canal in the Aurai area to defecate When Rahul tried to escape, the accused allegedly pierced a motorcycle key in his left eye and threatened to kill him, Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said, adding that the victim collapsed on the ground in severe pain. The accused fled the spot after locals gathered there. The SP said police reached the spot after receiving information and shifted the injured youth to a community health centre, from where he was later admitted to the district hospital. “As the injury to his left eye was severe, and he complained of loss of vision, doctors on Sunday referred him to the BHU Trauma Centre in Varanasi,” Manglik said. He said a case has been registered on the complaint of the victim’s father, Ram Dhani, against the accused Shankar Bind under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Necessary legal action against the accused is being taken, and further investigation is under way, the SP added 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
Hyderabad archbishop Cardinal Poola Anthony becomes first Dalit to head CBCI
A CBCI statement said Cardinal Poola Anthony assumes office at a crucial time, bringing decades of pastoral experience and a strong commitment to faith, justice, and human dignity. KOCHI: Cardinal Poola Anthony has been elected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), becoming the first Dalit to head the apex body of the Catholic Church in the country. The 64-year-old cardinal, who serves as Archbishop of Hyderabad, was chosen during the 37th general body meeting of the CBCI, marking a historic moment for India’s nearly two crore Catholics. The election took place at the CBCI’s general body meeting in Bengaluru on February 7, attended by bishops from across India to discuss pastoral, social, and administrative matters. Alongside the president, new office-bearers were elected for a two-year term. Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos of Trivandrum was elected vice-president-first, and Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt of Kottayam as vice-president-second. Archbishop Anil Couto was re-elected secretary general to continue coordinating CBCI’s national initiatives. The leadership reflects the Church’s ecclesial and liturgical diversity, with representation from the Latin, Syro-Malankara, and Syro-Malabar rites, highlighting CBCI’s inclusive character. The conference also expressed appreciation for the outgoing office-bearers—Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, Archbishop George Anthonysamy, and Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas—for their leadership during the previous term. A CBCI statement said Cardinal Poola Anthony assumes office at a crucial time, bringing decades of pastoral experience and a strong commitment to faith, justice, and human dignity. 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